Beginner's Luck
by Voidwing
Summary: Tara is not really the best at talking to girls. She could be considered one of the worst, in fact. That's why Kyu, a fairy, has been sent to help her out. It's time to talk to some ladies!
1. Fairies are Bad For Your Health?

Beginner's Luck

Chapter 1: Fairies are Bad for Your Health…

* * *

(Chapter Polished on September 8, 2016)

* * *

…Have you ever wondered if any myths and legends really existed? That fairies or snake-people or whatever else you can think of could be out there, waiting to be discovered? I hadn't thought much of it, until I met a fairy. Yeah, I know, call me crazy, you skeptical reader you. A fairy, with the wings and the sparkly effects…the whole package. One thing seemed to make her stand out from other mythical fairies, however; she was a motherfucking (literally) nymphomaniac with stalker tendencies and almost too much snark to deal with. She was also given a job from her home dimension-YES, I'm being serious – which is helping me find a girlfriend. And, before you ask, yes I am a girl. And, no, I'm not crazy. My name is Tara Weaver.

* * *

I would consider myself a well-off person, with plenty of sanity. I have my own home, a job at the Gamer's Corner in the mall, and my own bike (Glenberry is smaller than it sounds, so no need for a car). While I don't have many friends, the ones I do have are guys who I've known since we were kids. They understand my…feelings, let's say, about the opposite gender. I don't hate men, obviously, I just…well…don't find any kind of attraction. At all. To men. I mean, those guys are my friends, no doubt about that, but I am definitely not looking for a relationship in any of them, and they've come to understand that. They do know, however, that I am a lost cause at really talking to other girls. Probably everyone in town knows that. The few girls that I have talked to made me blush redder than autumn leaves and stumble more than you can imagine; and they didn't even say anything!

In fact, I met a certain someone after another failed excursion. I was at the bar, thinking pitiful thoughts about how much I suck at being a girl. While I had my first drink in my hand, I hadn't taken a sip yet – not really feeling it juuust yet. When suddenly, a beautiful girl appears…in an unnecessarily sexy red dress. Her hair was brown and short, and her eyes…oh my god her eyes. A deep green, my favorite color. Why am I staring into her- oh. She's walking over here.

"Hey, there." Damn, she saw me looking. "See something you like?" She giggled a little, amused by my sin for some (at the time) unknown reason.

"W-well, I w-wouldn't say no…" I blurted, not thinking about much other than how adorable and beautiful this girl was. I immediately facepalmed, and covered my mouth with my hand that had previously held my drink. I turned away from the girl next to me, and tears began to form at the corners of my eyes – I was always a bit of a crybaby, especially at embarrassing things _like right now_. I swear my blush was brighter than the lights hanging over our heads.

"Ohhhhhh, you wouldn't, huh? Good to know I've still got it!" The woman chuckled again. "…Awww, there's nothing to cry about."

 _"Yes there is this is embarrassing."_ My thoughts flooded my mind for a second, before settling on one thing – silence. I put my hand back down and stared at my drink. For a solid two minutes I stared, and the woman stood. She eventually sat down. I looked over, and she cringed a little before smiling slyly.

"Look, girl, are you gonna be alright?"

"…"

Silence permeated the bar counter, though the sounds of the rest of the bar continued – not that I was paying attention to that.

"…Wow, this is awkward." The red-dressed girl frowned.

"…Y-yeah. U-ummm…" I could still feel the blush on my face, and the girl raised an eyebrow.

"You okay, there?"

 _"No. I'm not."_ "…no….I'm so sorry…"

"Oh my god, it's worse than I thought." The girl's frown leveled out, then her face scrunched up in thought.

"W-what?"

The girl stood up suddenly, startling me a little. "Oh… OH! Oh, man, this is your lucky day sister!"

I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. I think my blush disappeared, but I'm not sure. The rather odd girl began mumbling about how much of a "good job" she was going to do, before turning back to me and getting too far into my personal bubble.

"This is gonna be- you can close your mouth now."

"Oh. S-sorry." Mouth closed.

"Okay, I'll see you later. Trust me. We have so much to talk about. Night!"

And with that, she was gone. I only had one word to say as the bartender gave me a condescending look. "…What?"

[-]

Not five minutes after that… interesting encounter, I walked out of the bar without taking a single sip of my drink - too confused already. I hoped to find that strange girl, but there was no sign of her dangerously short red dress. At this point, I just wanted to go home and sleep; put this rather bad day behind me and get ready for March. It was still chilly out, being February, so I wrapped my arms around me and walked the couple blocks home.

When I got home, I took off my jacket and let my hair down. My light brown hair reached my back, though I kept it in a ponytail most of the time. _"I'll take a shower in the morning."_ I passed off my normal routine. "Too tired". I took off my shoes, but kept the socks on. I collapsed on the pillow-covered bed, not even caring to get under the covers. I would have passed out then and there, but a certain someone had other plans.

"Woah there, champ. Though I wouldn't have waited to get this far, I have a feeling you'd like to know someone before you fucked their brains out."

At first, I will admit, I didn't care what was said. Then I actually processed it. One of my eyes opened, and it was met with two glowing green eyes and a shit-eating grin. And pink hair.

"W-what the **fuck** are you d-doing?!" I hardly ever cuss out loud, but _what the hell._

"I told you, silly, I'd see you later. It's later, and we need to talk."

"And y-you're in my bed why?"

"It's comfy!" Whoever-she-was smiled like a child getting candy.

"…"

"Aww, don't be like that!"

"...Just get up. Please?"

"I'm not moving."

"Yes, you will. Now."

The girl blinked, her brows furrowed for a second, then… "B-but, whyyy?"

" _Oh my."_

The moonlight outside glittered through the window and made the girl's pale skin shine. Her beautiful green eyes were wide, little hearts replaced her pupils, and tiny tears formed in her eyes. I tried to turn away, but her adorable face compelled me to keep staring.

"Alright fine. J-just don't-"

"Yaaaay!" She bolted under the covers and got comfortable.

"…get under the… W-whatever."

"Anyway, we need to talk. I already said that." I'd be taking her a _little_ more seriously, but person-in-my-bed was buried up to her pale, beautiful- **quit that.** She was buried up to her shoulders in blankets.

"About what, exactly?"

"You." She pointed at me and smiled. "Specifically, your skills with the ladies."

"I-I... How did you…"

"How did I know? Well, considering you complimented me and then got all embarrassed and turned away and-"

"Okay, okay, you got me. W-what makes you think I need help?"

"…" Her unamused yet at the same time amused glare broke my defenses.

"Y-yes, I need help."

"Good! Now then."

She threw off the covers of my bed with a flourish, leaving them in a heap on the floor. She jumped off in a dramatic fashion…and never touched the ground. I glanced upward, and saw wings. Thin, transparent, butterfly wings. And an incredibly skimpy outfit. Seriously, it was just a thin…whatever that was and a pair of panties! And her lower thighs were covered by pink stockings. Fucking stockings. _"How does this fairy know me so well?!"_

"Oh. You're a…"

"Fairy! Yup! Well, a _love fairy_ to be exact."

"A-alright then." Tara. exe has stopped responding. Would you like to restart the program? [Yes] "Hey, before I faint, what's your name?"

"My name? It's Kyu! …Wait, what?"

"Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

 _ **Whump**_

Yeah, I did pass out. What, are you saying you wouldn't after seeing a beautiful fairy girl flying over you, wanting to help your love life? Pfft, you liar.

[-]

 _"…nnngh… My head… Ow. Holy crap my head is killing me. What happened?"_

"..get up… Come on now…"

 _"What?"_

"I said… It's time to get up."

"Ow… I'm up, I'm up."

"Finally, jeez. I thought I'd have to leave you to fail talking to girls forever."

"N-no need for that, Kyu."

"Alright, let's go…" She stopped and waved her arms in my direction. "…Damn it, whatever-your-name-is."

"…It's Tara."

"Alright! Let's get going, Tara!"

"W-wait! My head…man, that hurts…"

"Too bad, you can patch up later. We're late for your training!"

"Training?!"

"Come on, hurry up you slowpoke!"

[-]

"This looks like a good spot for our first date."

"W-what?!"

"Don't worry, champ, it's just a tutorial."

"…just… Let's get th-this over with."

I had to admit, the place Kyu chose for our "date" was really nice. The Outdoor Lounge was always one of my favorite places to relax, especially in the evenings or at night. The moon shining over us, with the lamps illuminating the area just enough to be considered romantic. As I stared out into the rest of the lounge, Kyu began speaking again.

"Okay, sister, we're gonna start with the most basic of basics."

"Excuse me?"

Suddenly, a large grid appeared just to my left, floating in place and covered in many-colored circles with little symbols on them. Some had blue music notes, some yellow bells, a few orange crescent moons, and only three had dark broken hearts… It all made me think of Candy Crush.

Um. "Please tell me you're kidding."

"…Yeah. I am." At her words, the Grid disappeared, leaving magic brightly-colored confetti everywhere. "We used to do that, but my boss realized that it was too difficult, too time-consuming, not at all romantic, and misleading for actual dates without a love fairy's help. And, most annoyingly of all, it wasted a metric fuck-ton of fairy magic."

"Well it's g-good to know what's important to you fairies."

"All of that is important, which is why we don't use that piece of shit grid anymore! In place of that, _you_ get to experience all of the wonderful things about dating the chicks of this town yourself, which does include the consequences of your actions, of course. With this fantastic new system, you can learn everything you need to know, along with my indirect help and this neat little device right here!" Before I could properly respond, Kyu held out a lightly-curled fist. Some sort of pink aura surrounded it, with a surprising amount of streamers and confetti pouring into Kyu's hand. Suddenly, a flare of purple power pooled into her hand as well. Kyu apparently wasn't expecting this and yelped a little as the light in her hands shone as bright as the lamps illuminating the area. A sudden flash, making me blink rapidly, and the pink light was gone. In its place in Kyu's hand was a decently-sized phone with a royal purple-colored casing.

Kyu blinked confusedly, then cleared her throat, before speaking in a hilarious auctioneer's tone. "Presenting… the **latest** in fairy technology… the _**HunieBee 4.0!"**_ She raised an open palm, and a swirl of fairy magic revealed a phone, very similar to the "uPhone" line.

I gasped loudly, missing my old phone. It got stolen only a week or so ago by some bitch from my locker at the Hot Springs. I held out a shaking hand as Kyu's fanfare ended.

"This little thing can do everything that we need, and probably a little more. Its main function is that it tracks every important girl you come across from the moment you meet them and keeps track of their location, likes and dislikes, you know - the works. You can also buy food and actual gifts straight from the HunieBee, although it isn't recommended while you're out. It'd be awkward for your girl to see food or whatever appear in your hands out of literally nowhere."

"T-track their location?!"

"Sure! This whole thing is easier that way!"

"…I feel like a stalker."

"Hey, you don't **have** to have the amazing HunieBee."

"N-no! Tt's fine. I'll g-get used to being a creep." What level of hell do I belong in now?

"Yeah! That's the spirit, Tara!"

There was one certain subject that stuck in my mind. Even now, it still makes me grimace. "What happens if a girl finds out I'm cheating on them with another? Can the phone, like, wipe memories or something? Oh my god, that's terrible."

"Well, the older models used to do that. Until a few people started abusing it…" Kyu's face curled in disgust as mine did. "Oh! There's also a stun feature. Here, watch!" Kyu suddenly ripped the HunieBee from my hands, and said…

…I can't actually remember, now. Huh. Oh, well.

"Kyu, how did the phone teleport to your hand?"

"Magic." Kyu snorted twice adorably as a few pink sparkles appeared out of thin air, before handing the phone back.

 _"Seriously, Kyu? Mr. Bean?"_

"What is with you and references?"

"Eh, someone's gotta break that wall."

"Please god, tell me that's not an innuendo." The next thing that happened threw both Kyu and I into silence.

 _ **I think that's the first time Kyu didn't purposefully make an innuendo with a joke like that.**_

"…Venus? Seriously, you're watching this?" Apparently Kyu knew who this was.

 _ **Sure. It's been entertaining so far. I will warn you, Kyu - this will be your greatest accomplishment yet.**_

I, being the girl that I was, drew a line at love fairies. Having a sultry yet caring voice speak to apparently both me and the fairy in front of me telepathically? Nope, nope, and nope.

 _ **Whump**_

"Damn it, Venus! Look what you did to Tara!"

 _ **O-oh. I did not expect her to faint. Just a minute.**_

[-]

I awoke with a start, nearly slamming my head back into the lounge booth. Thankfully, Kyu caught me with a gloved hand.

"Hey, you okay there Tara?"

"A little dizzy…" What happened, exactly?

"Here, this should help." Kyu pointed a finger at me, little pink swirls forming and covering my face. I was too dizzy and/or confused to care. My vision became clearer, besides the bright veil over everything, and my eyes finally focused properly. I turned towards Kyu, and…

"Umm…." A slight blush went to my cheeks, and I really, really wanted to get closer to Kyu right then and there. Maybe even…

 _ **SLAP**_

"OW! W-w-what the hell?!" A red handprint covered my pale cheek, as did my own hands.

"Hey! Hands off the merchandise…for now. We're busy, and you can't mix business with pleasure!"

"What the crap are you… ohh… fairy magic."

"Did I… Whoops! I must have used too much."

"Yeah. So fairy magic is sex magic, then?"

"That's… well, you're close. Lots of healing is involved too. I mean, we can do so many things with just our hands, but we can do other stuff too, like-"

"NOPE. Don't need to go that far."

"Mmmkay. Anyway, the HunieBee. All of our work is going to center around it. The Huniebee will act as your hub for everything you'll need. Gifts, bonuses on dates, and even Munie!"

"Money?"

"What? No! Munie! Muuunnniieeee. You gotta spell it right!"

Spell it right? "…Munie?"

"There you go! Munie is our currency, and is much better than your human money. Ugh, even saying it makes me feel like a foreigner… And before you ask "How do I get this fantastic Munie?", I'll show you! …Wait, go ahead and open your phone."

I unlocked it, after having to draw a heart in a little game.

"Nice lock password, huh?" Kyu giggled and I continued on.

The hub screen was simple enough. Shiny blue background, pink border, but no apps. On the bottom of the screen were a few tabs. "Food" "Drink" "Gifts" "Messages" "Grid" and "Settings".

I hesitantly clicked on Grid, but nothing happened.

"Oh! Here's where the grid has been placed. Now it's the Munie-Grubbing Grid, where once a week you can get a bunch of Munie quickly! It should activate…now! Tap it again."

The Grid tab blinked, and then the Messages tab blinked afterward. "Notifications. Alright." I tapped Grid, and the same grid that Kyu had shown me before appeared on the screen with a flashy opening sequence. As before it was full of multicolored circles and shapes, and one in particular stood out to me – the bright blue tear-drop. I was about to ask questions, but then Kyu scooted closer and pressed into my side. I nearly dropped my phone, but I kept my hold with a blush on my face.

"The little circles in the grid are called 'tokens', and you will want to match them in groups of three or more as much as possible. Except the Broken Heart tokens; don't you dare think of matching those."

"This doesn't seem too bad. I've played puzzle games like this before… I'm guessing it's just get as many points as possible?"

"Kinda... Though, be careful, you have a limited amount of moves. Let me just explain everything now. There are 8 different kinds of tokens; Sexuality, Romance, Talent, Sentiment, Joy, Passion, Broken Heart, and my favorite, Flirtation."

"I'm not surprised."

"…The four affection tokens, Sexuality, Romance, Flirtation, and Talent all increase the Affection Meter. Fill up the Affection Meter and you've won the minigame, giving you a lot of Munie. The Joy tokens will give you more moves, and the more you have left when you fill up the Affection Meter, the more Munie you'll get! The Sentiment tokens let you use "date gifts", which you don't actually get to give to your girl – they're a part of the grid. These gifts don't take up a turn, and have special effects that help you out. Usually, the more helpful the gift, the more Sentiment it costs. Passion tokens are a score multiplier; the more Passion you have, the more Affection you'll get from matching the Affection tokens.

"Finally, the worst for last, the Broken Heart tokens. Match these, and you're Affection Meter will drop. A lot. Don't touch these with an imaginary 10-foot stick. Unless moving them will help you in some way. ….Just…don't match them. You'll regret it."

"That's a lot to take in at once... I don't think I'll be able to handle all this."

"No worries, Tara, that's why we're here. Just to make sure you know what you're doing, help yourself to a few moves."

The Date Grid shimmered, and a small menu appeared on the bottom. Passion, moves available, sentiment, and the Affection Meter were on it, along with six slots on the side labeled "Date Gifts". As I looked at it, the "Available" in "Moves Available" turned into an 8.

"Before you get started, I will say, if you fail to fill the Affection Meter before you run out of moves, you don't get anything. It's all or nothing! Now get started, champ!"

I was never one to back down from a challenge, even if my timid stuttering threw you off track. I looked a little closer at the grid, focusing on the proper move, but I noticed something. In the top right corner of the screen, I could see a portrait of Kyu winking. I blinked, but didn't mention it. Game first, questions later.

[-]

"You know, with your knowledge of puzzle games, you'd think you'd be able to do better than **that**."

"I didn't match any Broken Heart tokens!"

"That's true, champ, but otherwise you fucking sucked. And not in the good way."

"First of all, stop that. Second of all, nothing came down like it should have! I kept trying to get that four-in-a-row, but the Romance token wouldn't show up! Third of all, the Talent tokens gave me barely any points, even with max Passion! **And that's all that showed up. Fucking. Talent tokens.** "

"Eh. I'm not really one for talent. Just a good lay is all I need."

"UGH! Why does that even matter?!"

"Oh my god, I forgot to tell you. Certain tokens will have more effect on your date than others, while some tokens are the other way around – it all depends on the girl. The picture of me in the top right? That's because you were focused on me, and any bonuses you can buy with Munie depend on which girl you choose for the grid. It sounds convoluted, but we didn't want it to become too overpowered."

I cast the deepest, darkest, deathiest glare I could manage at Kyu. Her forest-green eyes widened and fear began to envelop her. Kyu shook a little, before attempting to pull her eyes away from mine.

"U-uhhh…?"

"…" Stare.

"Y-you're scaring me here…"

"…" I continued to stare into her fairy soul.

"…I'm s-sorry, T-Tara."

"What was that, Kyu?" Stare.

"I-I'm s-so s-s-sorry." Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.

"Apology accepted." I reached forward and gave her a hug.

"W-what kind of human are you?" Her eyes were wet, though the tears had stopped flowing.

"…The kind that needs your help, Kyu."

"…You switch emotions faster than a fairy can f-"

"Noooooooooo. **No.** We're not going there."

"Aww, you're no fun…" Even as she said that, Kyu smiled wide, and let go of me.

Kyu put a hand on my shoulder, and winked at me. "With my help and your generally bad puzzle-solving skills, we'll conquer the chicks of this town!

"Yaaaay…"

[-]

I woke with a start, back in my bed. It was morning, and the sun shined into my eyes and… _"...cooked me alive."_ My eyes adjusted to the burning rays, and I heard some very…pleased sounds coming from my computer desk nearby. I turned, still bleary from my waking, and thought I saw a fairy with pink hair wearing nothing but panties looking through some magazines with her feet propped up on my desk. But that's just silly. Then I realized that she actually wasn't wearing _anything_.

 _ **Whumpf***_

"Ooooh man… her tits are huuuuuuge… I bet she's a straight-up porn star or something…"

* * *

 **End of Chapter**

Alright. I managed to write nearly 4000 words for the first chapter. Hooray! While this isn't the only fanfiction I've written, this is the only one on site because I deleted the other two because I hated them.

Personally, I love Huniepop to death, and I had an idea that wouldn't go away of merging the game and more realistical (it's a word I swear) stuff together. I tried doing that by changing the Date Grid system a bit, as explained, and making meetings far more awkward!

Thank you all for reading! Please review, favorite, follow, and all that. I greatly appreciate it!

Special Thanks to Cypher DS and CrystalMoonlightII for being unofficial Betas for my little story, and who got me back into writing.

 _ *****_ Sound of Tara fainting and landing back on her bed.


	2. Awkwardness, Flirts, and Awkward Flirts!

Beginner's Luck

Arc: Gotta Know 'Em All!

Chapter 2: Awkwardness, Flirts, and Awkward Flirts!

* * *

(Chapter Polished on September 8, 2016)

Fair Warning: Lots of Crying Because Tara is a Crybaby.

* * *

When I woke up from my third faint of the week, I knew something was wrong. The sun was still out, and there was no sign of Kyu. No pink hair, no wings, no nothing. I blinked and rubbed at my eyes, then turned towards my alarm clock on my nightstand. '11:07'

"Damn, I slept in late. I need to get ready."

"You're damn right, you need to get ready. We're late! Again!"

Ah, there she was.

"Where've you been, fairy?"

I looked up and saw Kyu fluttering above me, giving me an awkward view of both her cleavage and her face. She bent at the waist to look directly at me and adorably puffed out her cheeks. "I have a name you know, you bitch."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. …Fairy." I tried to keep a straight face, but couldn't hold it and started laughing out loud.

"UGH! Why did I even…" Kyu tried to frown, but her little smile betrayed her feelings. _"Well, at least she doesn't know my piece-o'-shit last name. Tara will never find out; I'll wipe her memory if she does."_ "Didn't you say you were gonna get ready?"

"Oh!"

It was at that moment that I realized that I hadn't changed out of my clothes from the day before, and definitely hadn't showered since then, either. _"Man, I must stink."_ I hurried over to my dresser and grabbed a fresh set of undergarments before bolting to the bathroom connected to my bedroom. _"I pray that Kyu doesn't try to get a peek of me in the shower. God help her if I catch her."_

I stepped into the white-tiled bathroom and promptly closed the door behind me. I pulled my long jeans and shirt off, and had a hand on my bra clasp as a slightly familiar, seducing voice echoed through my skull.

 _ **I don't think it's just Kyu you should be worrying about.**_

"You again…"

 _ **Yes, it's me~ Now, go back to what you were doing. It's boring to watch someone stand there with almost all of their clothes off.**_

"Well, don't l-let me bore you. Go watch someone else…whoever you are."

 _ **But you're so close, now… Oh, alright. I'll leave you alone for now. But when you least expect it, I**_ **will** _ **catch you without your clothes on. And I will enjoy it immensely.**_

 _"Oh, joy. Now I have two lecherous magical beings to watch out for."_

 _ **Lecherous?! How dare you?!**_

"I said, go away!"

Silence….

"…"

No sound….

"…"

 _ **Silence…**_

"UGH!"

[-]

As I stepped out of the shower, I realized something important. My bra and panties were gone. Both pairs.

 **"KYU!"**

The bathroom door burst open, and Kyu pink-haired, antennae-donned head peeked through. She stared directly at my uncovered breasts and smiled widely.

"Ahhhh, now that I get a good look, I can believe the D-cup bras I found in here!"

 _ **SLAP**_

Kyu covered her face and eyes as I covered myself, laughing even through the pain. "IT WAS WORTH IT!"

 **"KYU! GET YOUR FAIRY ASS OUT OF HERE!"**

[-]

She returned my cleaner pair of undergarments, thankfully and politely covering her eyes and immediately closing the door. I emerged after putting them on and quickly dashed to my closet, pulling on another pair of jeans and a t-shirt. "Okay, Kyu, you can look now.

"Hmm? Oh, I've been looking since you came out of the bathroom. Your butt is a lot bigger than thought it would be, Tara. You've got the figure I look for in my fuck buddies."

"I-I would be more flattered by that c-comment if you hadn't added that l-last bit. Fail, Kyu. Just…fail." Even at that, I still had a heavy blush on my cheeks.

"Well, it's true!"

"And that's terrible."

I finished getting dressed, feeling the lust emanating from Kyu. I really, really wasn't sure if I should be flustered, flattered, or frustrated. All I knew was that I felt very…calm around Kyu. Except when she made little comments like that one. I generally stopped stuttering while talking to her after I found out she was a fairy, and that hadn't been even an hour in total of being forced to stay in her presence. _"Maybe I'm better than I thought? I just have to get used to being around a girl before I get past all the blushing and sputtering crap."_

"You alright there?"

I realized that I was staring into space, lost in my own thoughts, with my jacket's hangar loosely hanging from my hand. "H-huh? Oh, yeah. Just thinking about the surely interesting day ahead." I certainly wasn't lying, but still...

"Well, hurry it up! We gotta get going; it's…

'11:35', my alarm clock told us.

Kyu was right, we needed to get going. Just a new pair of socks my shoes and bam, ready to go. "Let's go, then!"

"Yep! Let's… Oh shit, ugh, what is with me and forgetting things?!" Kyu was smacking her forehead in anger, before looking back up at me.

"W-what is it?"

"I'll make this quick - do you have any ideas on where you want to go to meet any of our lucky ladies?"

"Well, it's just past 11:30, so the University is… wait what day is it?"

"Saturday."

"Good. As I was saying, the University is on lunch break, so that'd be nice. I wouldn't be going back there until Monday anyway, so we should check now and not miss anyone."

"…That's…kinda smart, I guess. Alrighty, let's go talk to some broads!"

"Excuse me?"

"What? We need to get-"

"I will not work with a magical fairy if she's going to insult me and other women like that."

"Alright, _mom,_ I'll slow down on those a little." Kyu was a bit of a rebellious child, sometimes, I noticed.

"Just…don't say 'broads'. Doesn't help me with this whole thing we're doing. I hate that kinda crap; as do most… "human" females. …and no whores, either. "

"Hmm…"

"Please, Kyu?"

"….don't look at me like that…" I was giving her a pleading puppy-dog-eyed face; with my dark brown eyes widened and wet with tears, though not to the extreme she gave me yesterday. It still worked.

"FINE! Just, don't make me use my magic on your adorable face."

"What?"

"Let's go! Hurry! It's time to talk to some…girls."

[-]

As we entered the college campus, two things stood out to me. Actually, one thing and two of the most beautiful girls I'd ever seen. The one thing was the multitude of textbooks scattered along the ground, and the two girls, one blond and the other a very bright-red redhead, were apparently arguing about them. I caught a few bits and pieces of the argument, as one voice was much less high-pitched and loud than the other.

"…I'm sorry…didn't mean to…"

"Whatever, Tiffany! Just, do your fucking best to not crash into me again! **UGH** , I knew I shouldn't've fucking come to this shithole today…"

A frown appeared on the other girl's face, which, as I got closer, was certainly trying to not smile. "All that cussing isn't really needed Audrey. Here, I'll help you pick them up and you can be on your way."

"…At least someone around here is nice to me."

The slightest frown that was on apparently-Tiffany's face raised back into a kind and patient smile, before she crouched down and gathered the textbooks. The other girl, Audrey, just stood there and watched her… friend(?) pick them up with a deep scowl.

I was a bit conflicted on the situation, to be honest. _"Jeez…what a little brat. Then again, the other girl bumped into her… She could at least help…"_

I was about to close the distance between me and the two women in front of me, when I realized Kyu was standing next to me.

"…oh, come on, champ. You were doing so well!"

"Why are you still here, anyway? Won't other people see you?" A little bit of panic was mixed in with my whispering, so Kyu knew I wasn't messing with her.

"Oh, no one else can see me unless I want them to. In fact…"

At that, Kyu disappeared entirely. "See?"

"No, Kyu, I don't."

"Oh, shut it. You know what I meant." Both of us giggled a bit, before she gave me a light shove. While still being invisible. "Now, go get 'em, tiger!"

I turned back towards the two girls, the blond one rising from her position. As I resumed walking towards them, I was close enough to see that Tiffany's blond hair was set in very long pigtails, and she gave the other girl the fallen textbooks. The red-haired brat walked off in a huff. Tiffany sighed, though exactly why I'm wasn't sure. She turned around clutching a single textbook and a folder with her eyes closed in thought.

"Audrey, I know you were in a hurry, but you can calm down a little…" She was shaking her head, still smiling patiently.

At the last possible second, I remembered that I can't talk to other women. At all. Goddamn it, brain. _"Whose side are you on?!"_

"…Hey, th-there. I d-don't believe we've met." I spoke out, wanting to somehow start a conversation. As I spoke, I realized the outfit Tiffany was wearing was incredibly cute. An unzipped, milky-pink jacket over the school uniform (which was not mandatory, thank god), and white button-up shirt with a long red skirt. For some reason, the shirt's bottom two buttons were left open, showing a little bit of skin that threw Cuteness Proximity alarms in my mind. My eyes flickered downward, and I saw white thigh-high socks- _"Oh my god, it's adorable."_ She was also wearing black dress shoes.

She realized I was speaking to her, and answered my stuttered question. "You know, I think you're right. We haven't met. My name is Tiffany!"

At the same time as she said that, she glanced over me and smiled a little wider. I blushed hard, and stared into the ground. "My n-name's…Tara."

"Well it's nice to meet you, Tara. I would be shaking your hand or something, but my hands are kinda full at the moment." Tiffany giggled a little bit, making me blush a little more.

"…I c-can see that. U-ummm…"

"Yyeeessss? Come on, Tara, you can tell me what's up."

My next choice of words made me turn an embarrassed red and unshed tears wet my eyes. "Well, y-you are the m-most beautiful g-girl I've ever s-seen, so I-I wanted a ch-chance to talk to y-you… B-before n-now I was t-too scared…" I wasn't lying when I said that. Heh, I surprised myself in not totally flubbing the words.

"Wha-huh? That's…wow…" A heavy blush covered Tiffany's face as well, and she looked away. "You're too kind, Tara…." The blush still on her face, Tiffany's smile turned into… something brighter. She was beaming, her ocean-blue eyes focused on her textbooks.

"I-I should j-just go…" _"I've already fucked it up enough. I'll try somewhere else."_

"No, no! It's fine! I was just surprised, is all. I'm not sure anyone would have expected a compliment like that from someone they…just…met…"

"…l-like I s-said, I was t-too afraid to even w-walk up to y-you until now…"

"Afraid of what, silly? That I wouldn't even talk to you, or something?"

"…M-maybe a l-little. And th-that I would j-just p-push y-you away w-with all m-my stu-stuttering and flubbering all m-my w-words….That h-happens m-most of th-the time." I'm pretty sure I was straight-up crying now. _"Stop it! This isn't helping!"_

"Welll, Tara, I think… well, would you like to have lunch together? I was actually on my way to the cafeteria when you, uh, came up to me."

" _Is this actually happening? Did I…actually get someone to like me?"_ "I think I'd like that very much, Tiffany." The tears had stopped flowing, and my blush lessened as my sad frown flipped into a small grin.

"Come on, then! You know where it is, right?"

"Yeah. I actually do go here, but I don't have any of my classes scheduled for Saturday."

"Oh! Alright, cool. I was thinking about taking you on a tour of the campus, but I guess it isn't necessary." Her smile lowered just a fraction, as did mine.

" _I wouldn't have minded a tour if you were giving it…"_ I didn't say that out loud, of course. I'd embarrassed myself enough today. "Do you think we could hurry though? I'm feeling kind of-"

Suddenly, a loud, low moan erupted from my midsection. _"Fuck."_

Both Tiffany and I stopped, and I didn't dare look into her blue pools. Not a chance in hell am I gonna-damn it. My eyes watered, but I blinked it away. Even still, a beet-red blush rivaled the roses lining the sidewalk.

"I have a feeling you were going to say 'hungry', but your stomach said it first." She giggled, making me blush all the more.

"L-let's j-just go. Please?"

[-]

As we walked into the cafeteria, I saw that many of my guy friends were here. John and Joe, the best twins ever, and Corbin- _"Oh god, why today?"_

A lot of people would consider Corbin a nice guy, including me. Others would see him as a total asshole. He's a bit of a smartass and snarky, like me, but has always had trouble with his grades. I help him with his studying sometimes, but most of the time he's too proud. The only thing that's making me panic right now is how much he makes fun of me. Not really bullying, but like an exaggerated brother-type teasing. And I hate it. He always goes too far. **Always.**

"Heyyy, Tarrie!"

 _"Whyyyyyyyyyy…."_ The only thing I could do was give him a death glare and hope he goes away.

"What's going on over here~"

 _"Damn it, it didn't work. He's here!"_

"Ohhh! Hey, Tiffany!" Aaaand he see the girl next to me.

"Hey, Corbin! You know Tara?" Tiffany seemed oblivious to the danger in front of her.

"Sure I do! We've been friends since we were kids." He gave me a shit-eating grin. _"And I almost regret it now."_

"Aww, that's sweet. Well, we were on our way to the salad bar. See ya!"

"You don't have to go yet! I want to know aalllll about you two."

I had had enough and I was hungry and wanted to get to know this girl. "Corbin, we need to get going. We'll talk later, okay?"

With that, we left the front of the room; but not without a few pairs of eyes on us. We weren't holding hands or anything, but we were walking beside each other closer than a lot of couples had. _"Damn him. He brought us unwanted attention."_

I stared at my feet as I walked, a nervous habit of mine, and nearly walked into the salad bar.

"You okay, Tara?" Tiffany was worried about me? Bah.

"Yeah…just…Corbin. He's a-always finding some r-reason to tease me and my…feelings."

"Just do your best to ignore him. It's worked for me."

"Believe me, I've tried over the years. He's learned to be patient with me."

"You'll be fine, don't worry. Hey, at least he's not bullying you into…" Tiffany's voice faded away, losing the last part of her sentence.

"…hmmm?" I hoped she would repeat what she said.

"Oh, it's nothing. Anyway, let's get our salads and find a place to sit!"

And so we did.

[-]

We had set ourselves down at a table across the room from Corbin; away from the guy I really didn't want to talk to right now. Tiffany and I talked much of the lunch break away, occasionally nibbling on our salads. I learned that her favorite color was the same color as her jacket, and she did accept my love of the color green. Tiffany told me that she was the head of the cheerleading squad, though she was surprised that I didn't know.

I explained myself quickly. "I'm not really o-one for sports. I've only seen you walking off campus and between classes, though I'll be sure to g-go to any more games that y-you're going to be a part of!" Tiffany blushed a bit at that, making the both of us laugh. The next few minutes were just small talk, and eventually, it was almost time to go. Tiffany looked up at the large clock mounted on one of the walls of the cafeteria.

"Awww, my time's almost up. It's almost 12:30!"

I heard hard footsteps behind me, and turned to them, expecting Corbin or another friend of mine. What I got was a hand and a shove connected to it.

I yelped as I was thrown off my chair, but a pair of strong, feminine arms caught me and I leaned on them. "Damn it, Braden! I told you to stay away from me and my friends!"

"Oh, baby, that's no way to act around me."

"Do **not** call me that."

I sat back up in my chair, letting the world stop spinning before looking up at the giant that tried to toss me to the ground. His stereotypical slicked black hair and letterman jacket made me frown, but his shining white toothy smirk twisted my own mouth into a grimace. I looked back at Tiffany, whose death stare terrified me to no end. The hate in that girl's deep oceanic eyes made me feel bad for…Braden.

"Come on, honey, don't you want to spend time with _me_?"

" **No. I don't.** "

"…I'm sure you'll come around someday. Until then…"

He looked down at me, and I felt disgusted on the spot. His eyes stared into my soul, and they were full of disgusting lust and lecherous thoughts. I mean, it sounds like Kyu would get the same kind of reaction, but this is different. This isn't playful teasing with hints of sexuality in it; not in the slightest. This is lust without really caring about the other person involved. This is terrifying. I flinched, and I immediately regretted it.

"Oh! Well, hell-oo~! I didn't even see you there, girly. Well, if this other bitch won't come with me, I'm **sure** you will." Braden grabbed my right arm, starting to pull me away.

"W-what?! L-let g-go!" I pulled back, and grabbed the edge of the table with my free hand. Tears sprung from my eyes, and I shook with fear.

"Let go of her, you bastard!" Tiffany jumped up immediately.

"What's the problem, Tiff? Getting jealous? We're just going for a short walk…"

" _Oh, hell no!"_ As I attempted to keep my arm to myself, I heard a new voice. "Hold it right there! I will not allow this!"

At first, I thought it was a hall monitor or something. Just, someone to get this creep away! I looked towards the voice in hope. Then in confusion.

"Let the girl go, Braden! You'll be coming with me to the dean's office!"

"You're not even a full-time teacher! You can't do anything!"

" **I can, and I will.** Let. Her. Go."

He pulled on my arm one last time, with all his strength. I heard a loud pop, a cry of pain (was it mine?), and white static filled my vision. As my vision fluctuated, so did my hearing. I caught bits and pieces of an argument, but nothing more.

"What the…you do?" Tiffany…

"I didn't…any…hey! You..don't even… You'll regret…you bitch!" Braden.

"Don't…me call security… Just follow me." Teacher?

Silence.

[-]

…My vision returned, and I saw Tiffany holding one of my hands carefully. We were still in the cafeteria, and nothing had really changed. I tried to move my hand (was it my right?), but my shoulder screamed in pain. I, for one, just yelped a little. Then I cried in pain, embarrassment, and a bit of anger. Tiffany helped me ease my arm down to my side, and let me lean on her.

Tiffany sighed, and wrapped her arms around me, taking care to not disturb my injured shoulder. "..I'm so sorry. He's never gotten that aggressive, even to me."

 _"So this is a common thing? Just having some douchebag walk up to her and try to take her away?!"_

"There's n-nothing for y-you to be sorry for. I'm j-just glad y-you're here now."

"But it's my fault that he came over here in the first place, Tara! I mean, now your arm's busted up, and…" Tears began rolling down her cheeks, mirroring my own. She sniffled sadly, and I hugged her back with my free hand.

"I-it is not your fault! He came over here because he's a d-douchebag who wanted to… ugh, I don't even want to think about it." The next words out of my mouth were chosen carefully, and they were whispered so only Tiffany could hear them.

I prayed to whatever gods were listening that this wouldn't sound creepy. "…It's not your fault you're so beautiful, Tiffany…" I blushed madly, but it was nothing compared to the embarrassment that radiated from Tiffany's face.

She gasped, and she turned towards me, backing away slightly. "..You…oh my…" Her saddened look had turned upwards again, giving me the shyest smile I'd seen in a long time. The warmth that emanated from her made me melt a little inside, and the gratefulness in her ocean-blue eyes filled me with determination to keep her happy. "You're so kind to me, Tara. Thank you… And to think we've only just met and I feel like we've been through so much. Ugh, I'm a sucker for stuff like this. You know, you're…not so bad yourself, Tara." I knew she was teasing, and it felt good.

I sputtered and fumbled my response, but finally found it. "…Y-you r-really m-m-mean it?..."

"Really. Like, really really."

I wanted to kiss her right then and there, but I knew better. _"One step at a time, Tara."_

"Thank you. So much. No one has ever complemented me like that, and actually sound nice about it."

 _ **What about Kyu?**_

 _"She doesn't count."_

Tiffany stretched her arms around me, and hugged me close, her face over my shoulder and mine over hers; somehow she managed to not mess with my hurt shoulder. She was so warm and caring, and even after just meeting, too. It surprised me, and feeling loved like this after so long… I cried tears of joy. And I cried hard. Thank god most everyone was gone.

"Wha-Tara? Are you alright? Did I bump your arm?" Tiffany tried to pull back, but I kept her close.

"N-no, no. It's f-fine. I'm j-just so happy…"

"After all that?"

"I'm not talking about that… To have a f-friend l-like you."

"Oh… I'm… happy you're my friend, too, Tara."

I smiled so wide, it hurt. We hugged out my tears, then Tiffany had to go. She kept a hand on my shoulder as she stepped away. "It feels awkward saying it was nice to meet you, considering what just happened. Do you need a sling for your arm, or something?" She smiled as awkwardly as the situation, but I just grinned back.

"I d-don't think I'll need help. If anything, I can w-work something out on my own."

"Heh, you sound like another friend of mine; Nikki. She doesn't actually go to college…" Tiffany frowned at that. "But, she's taught herself everything she's needed to know, so…"

"That s-sounds like m-me, all right." It did. I, and this other girl apparently, am an autodidact; meaning I teach myself everything. I mean, I go to college for a few classes I need, but otherwise I'm generally fine on my own.

"Well, Tiffany, this is goodbye…" I dramatically threw my good hand over my heart and playfully smiled. "I w-wish that I may see y-your lovely face another day…"

Tiffany had a fist in her mouth to keep from laughing too hard, but the look she gave me showed gratitude. After she recovered, she raised an eyebrow at me. "I'm more than just a pretty face, you know." Even as she said that, her blond hair perfectly framed her ocean blue eyes.

"And I'm s-so th-thankful for that. You're so n-nice to m-me, and n-not even for y-y-your own gain. Just…thank you. R-really….Damn it, I'm c-crying ag-gain." I sighed as the tears of purest happiness leaked out of the corners of my eyes. _"It's not like I'm leaving town or something. I'll probably see her again by tomorrow."_

"Are you sure you'll be fine, Tara?" Tiffany smirked playfully, giving me a look that had years of patience behind it.

"Y-yes…"

"Alrighty. I'll see you later!"

She gathered her things, zipped up her jacket, and took hesitant steps away. I waved, slowly at first, then almost frantically. She turned back, smiled and waved, then left for her class that she was probably late to.

"…whew…" I let out a breath that I hadn't realized I was holding, even as the rivers of my eyes had finally stopped. "Oh. My god. Did that really all just happen?" I spoke my thoughts aloud, being generally alone now. I raised my good hand to my mouth and bit down hard enough to hurt. "Ow… No, not dreaming."

"Damn straight, you're not dreaming. Holy shit that was a good start! You've already gotten up to three hearts and you didn't even go on a date yet!" I yelped as a familiar, scantily-clad love fairy popped into existence as I realized everyone really had left.

"Kyu! Where the hell have you been?"

"Oh, you know. Places. Following you and Tiff around, mostly!"

"Don't call her that. If you've been following me, you should know that."

"Whatever. Check your HunieBee."

So I did. I got it out of my pocket, with my left hand, and there were two things different about it. One, the case had changed from a plain royal purple to a light green with black tiger stripes. "That's cool." The second thing was the lock screen.

"Woah…" It showed Tiffany in the outfit she was wearing today, and the pink jacket was loosely wrapped around her shoulders. Her hair was in the same pigtails with red bows, and one hand was getting her bangs out of her face. Tiffany's ocean-blue eyes were wide in surprise, her face flushed, and her embarrassed grin outshining the cafeteria lights above her.

"Where did this picture come from?"

Kyu smiled slyly. "Oh, I took that one. But the rest of them will be from the girls you talk to. You did so well, I went ahead and got this little photo for you."

"What do you mean, "I did so well"?

"Open it up, silly, and you'll see."

I unlocked it, seeing a headshot of Tiffany in a little square like an app on a normal phone. It also had Audrey with a question mark on it, and a Teacher block; also with a question mark on it.

"So Audrey was other girl Tiffany was talking to, but why did the Teacher show up? Wait… noooooo! Why do I have to-"

"Seduce a teacher? Hey, the HunieBee says you can connect with her, so you have to! By the way, the HunieBee will add any compatible girl in range to the hub screen, so you'll know if you've found one or not."

"Are you sure that I have to talk to any more girls? I mean, seriously, Tiffany was perfect!"

"Yes, I'm sure. To be honest, that was the best first meeting I've ever seen. Hell, you didn't need my help after my little push. At first I thought of giving you some more advice; be a little flirty, but sensitive, you know. But, you figured it out all by yourself. Dare I say it…you may be a natural once you get past all of your own insecurities. You're already growing up!"

Kyu's words empowered me, and I nodded, putting the phone away. Her encouragement made me proud of myself, even after the little disaster that happened. It took me this long, but with her help, we would meet every one of these girls. No matter how long it took or how torturing it would be to move on to other girls. Or move my arm, at this point.

"Hey…b-by the way…" I looked down at my arm that I was doing my best to keep stiff at my side.

"Yeah? Oh, your arm?"

I nodded my head slightly, a little worried. "What are we gonna do about it?"

"Just a second here…" Kyu concentrated for a second, closing her eyes and lazily held out a hand. After a moment, pink swirls enveloped her outstretched hand. "Take my hand, Tara."

I held out my uninjured arm, but Kyu slapped it away. "Not that one, you idiot."

"…" I frowned, but slowly raised my other hand, my shoulder pulsing painfully with every second of movement. "Gh..gha…"

"Oh, hush. You can stand it." She grasped my right hand, and the swirls whirled away from her hand and up my arm. Two ribbons of sparkling light, one white and one red, separated from the mass, and wrapped tightly around my shoulder. It tingled a little, like my foot falling asleep, but it didn't hurt at all. Then it began to itch – really badly. I wanted to scratch it, but at that point I couldn't move any part of my body.

Kyu kept pouring fairy magic up my arm; her face tightened in concentration. "Don't even try to move right now; the magic's gotta do its work!"

And work it did; after a good five minutes, the pink, white, and red magic dissipated entirely in the blink of an eye. Kyu released my hand, and nearly fell over. I caught her with both of my hands, surprising the both of us. Her knees buckled, even as I held her up. Kyu's short stature made it a little awkward to hold her hand like that, so I just lifted her into my arms and carried her bridal-style, taking care to not get my hands close to any...private…regions. It didn't help that her normal attire was as skimpy as someone's outfit from the Nightclub.

"W-what do you think y-you're doing, Tara?" She was exhausted, I could tell. Kyu was trying to keep her eyes open, but it was nearly impossible for the magicked-out fairy.

"I'm taking you home. Y-you've used up most of your magic for the day, I assume?"

"That's…right. Champ, you're so smart… And strong, apparently…" She must've realized I was carrying her away from the cafeteria. Kyu was smiling, even as her green eyes closed.

"Oh, hush. Y-you're too kind." I turned away from her, my blush betraying my feelings.

"Ahhaaa…You're funny, toooooo…"

"Kyu?"

"Hmmmmmm?" She was doing her best to stay awake.

"Why did you heal me knowing you'd be this exhausted when you were done?"

"Oh, that's easy. You're…"

"…what?"

"…"

I looked down at the fairy in my arms, and almost died. Kyu had fallen asleep in my arms mid-sentence; the most peaceful I had ever seen her. I would've appreciated it more, but she started snoring. I looked around me, as I was still in campus, and thanked the god watching over us that no one was walking between classes. I would've checked the time, but my hands were full of cute magical being.

 _"I'm probably done for the day. If Kyu finds out I talked to a new girl without her, she'll give me hell. Ehhhhh, it probably wouldn't be as fun anyway."_

At that thought, I rushed the few blocks home, still praying that no one would be able to see or hear the woman carrying some girl in an…"odd" costume.

 _ **Tara, you should be grateful that you are the one in need of help. If you were not, your constant praying of me would become tedious and unneeded. But, in your situation, it is amusing.**_

 _"Ah, shit. Not now…you!"_

 _ **My name is Venus. The Goddess of Love and ruler of Sky Garden. Employer of Kyu Sugardust, blah blah blah.**_

I stopped, turning my head towards Kyu again. Her still sleeping form made me smile, then my mind zeroed in on a certain part of Venus' sentence. "Her last name is Sugardust? That sounds…incredibly stereotypical."

 _ **I will admit, her last name is rather girly, but it is nothing compared to some others I know.**_

"Such as…?"

 _ **Flowershine, Littlefoot, Green-Thumb… Wait, why am I talking to a peasant about my people? Why are you not moving?**_

"Does your entire race have girly last names?" I resumed walking.

 _ **Essentially. Though, my own is the best I know. I'll bet you never guess it.**_

"How much are we betting?"

 _ **Ehhhhh… 100,000 Munie.**_

"Money?!" _"I don't have that kind of money…"_

 _ **No. Munie. I have no need for your human petty cash.**_

I raised an unamused eyebrow at that, but understood. "Do I get, like, three guesses or something?"

 _ **Ahhh… You get five. I'm feeling generous today.**_

"What a lucky girl I am."

 _ **Good luck. I'll give you until the end of the day to guess. I love little games like this. Helps pass the time.**_

"I'm sure they do, Venus."

 _ **Excuse me! Only Kyu and other friends of mine call me Venus! You can call me…Your Majesty for now.**_

"Ugh."

While Kyu was rather light, having to carry her all the way back home was starting to get tiring, as my arms and shoulders would attest. I tried to position her a little better, or at least get a better grip. Of course, as I did so, my left hand _would_ slip and get stuck under her bra-thing. I managed to not completely cup her breast, but Kyu moaned and leaned closer into my own chest, making me blush profusely and nearly drop her. I kept my arms steady, and didn't move my left hand at all. I kept moving forward, and I heard Venus laughing in my head.

 _ **Oh my goodness, Tara. I didn't think you'd be so…demanding. She's asleep, for my sake! Have some dignity! At least wait until you get home…**_

 _"Shut it, Venus! I really don't want to hear your taunts at the moment!"_

 _ **Oh, but where's the fun in that…**_

I would've been running at this point, but I _really_ didn't want to jostle Kyu awake. Not while my hand is in its current position… Still, Venus apparently had mercy on my soul and Kyu stayed a snoring fairy the rest of the trip home.

/\/\/\/\/\ Tiffany /\/\/\/\/\

Tiffany was troubled. She felt unfocused, and rather lost.

"Ms. Maye, are you listening?"

"Y-Yes, Professor!"

"I hope so, Ms. Maye. Please, pay attention."

Tiffany knew exactly why she wasn't as attentive as she always was. Tara. Tara, she knew, was going to be a good friend. Probably a best friend, once she got to know the apparently shy girl better.

The only thing that threw her off, however, was the initial meeting. _"…y-you are the m-most beautiful g-girl I've ever s-seen, so I-I wanted a ch-chance to talk to y-you…"_ While it was flattering, definitely, she'd heard compliments like that from dozens of people, boy and girls alike. Quite a few of them had panicked and ran away mid-sentence. It made Tiffany smile when she realized that Tara went far out of her comfort zone and _stayed out of it_ to talk to her, which was, either surprisingly or unsurprisingly depending on your view-point, far more than most were willing to do for her. She may be popular, but she isn't a bitch like most people would stereotype – she's thankful whenever someone goes to such lengths to-

" **Ms. Maye!** "

"Wha-huh? S-sorry! I'm… a little tired…"

"It's rare to see you daydreaming, Ms. Maye. I don't want to have to speak to you again."

"Yes, Mr. Conaway."

[-] /\/\/\/\ Tara /\/\/\/\/\ [-]

As I walked up the porch stairs, I realized a massive problem. My hands were full of sleeping love fairy and I couldn't reach for my keys.

 _ **I'll help you out, but it will cost you.**_

"Wow, you were quick to offer help. What is it costing me?"

 _ **Just one guess. Nothing more.**_

"Oh. Alright. Please help."

At that, a deep purple aura appeared in front of me. It floated for half a second, before shrinking into the shape of a hand. It reached into my left jeans pocket, ruffled around, and found nothing.

"I keep everything in my right pocket. HunieBee, keys, you know."

 _ **Ah. Thank you.**_

Then the purple glowing hand glided over to my right pocket, not-so-subtly grazing my inner thighs along the way. I shivered slightly, and Kyu's still sleeping body shifted with me. My hand slipped slightly farther up her breast, and I internally wept for my sanity and my previous chastity. Kyu moaned in pleasure, making me physically tear up. I heard Venus' chuckle in my breaking mind, and I began internally sobbing.

 _ **You're so funny, Tara. You're so sensitive…It's almost too easy to tease you.**_

 _"Shut up! It doesn't help that you're assaulting me and sticking your magic hands where they don't belong…ugh, not that I can really say that in my current situation."_

The purple hand eventually found my key-ring and checked every single key. It took far too long, and I realized that the last key on the ring was the one that worked.

 _ **I knew which one would work, but, again, it's so easy to rile you up.**_

I refused to dignify that with a response and walked inside, ripping my keys from the glowing hand. I kept my movements slight and slow to not wake up Kyu. I kept my feet flat, sliding across the carpet. I was so close to the bedroom. I got in. I was next to the bed. I crouched down slowly, on one knee.

 _"If I slip even once, it's all over."_ I kept Kyu up with my left forearm, and slowly moved that hand down and away from her breast. Sadly, due to having to keep it still as not to disturb Kyu, the hand was covered in sweat and stuck to her pale skin. I ended up pulling on her boob, and she blushed heavily in her sleep and moaned out loud. Finally, the tears burst from their dams and I stopped dead. I shook in embarrassment, and Kyu mumbled a little.

"Damn it, champ… Don't tease me… just…..wha-wait-what?"

Her forest-green eyes opened slowly, still a bit delirious. "T-Tara? Wh-what are you d-doing… ohh…"

I didn't move, but Kyu did. Just the slightest movement and her breasts wobbled against my hand, which was still stuck with sweat. She looked up at me in surprise, and (to my own surprise) she had a heavy blush to match mine. "W-woah there, ch-champ. Y-you gotta let a fairy know w-when y-you're gonna b-be doin' stuff l-like this…"

I was still frozen in fear and embarrassment, with tears still rolling down my beet-red face. "I-I'm so s-sorry about th-this… I was c-carrying y-y-you home, and my hand slipped…"

"O-oh, rrrriiigghhhttt, th-that's how it always goes. Y-your hand slipped, huh?"

 **"I'm being s-serious, Kyu!** P-please b-believe me…" I started crying outright, and I couldn't stop. I looked away from Kyu, who was still allowing herself to be held in my arms.

"Don't worry, Tara. I was just teasing. Now, can you let go of my boobs?"

"I-I'm n-not really h-holding th-them… J-just p-pull away and y-you should b-be f-fine…"

"Ummm… o-okay…" She pulled away, and I moved my hand at the same time. Kyu moaned lightly, but otherwise didn't say anything. My hand slinked back from under her body, and I lifted her up on her feet. Kyu smiled slightly, but her eyes showed her feelings on the embarrassing situation.

"Soooo… ummm…I will admit, Tara, you've got a way about you that makes me….ooooooh, man…"

"Kyu… S-seriously… s-stop it… I-I'm embarrassed enough a-already…" I wasn't kidding. Tears still flowed from my dark brown orbs, and heat still radiated from my face. I was still on one knee, not daring to look into Kyu's beautiful green eyes.

"Come on, now, boss. You've got a…whew…whole day ahead. It's time to get up!"

"…mmmm…" I still couldn't look at her.

"If it makes you feel any better, I had the best dream ever while you were carrying me home…"

"…d-damn it, Kyu…"

"Do you want to know who it was about?"

I flinched so hard, my neck popped. "…ow…" I continued to stare down at the carpeted floor, my tears leaving marks. I saw Kyu crouch down to her knees and reach for my chin. I didn't bother resisting.

"It was about you, Tara. You've got me wrapped around your finger already, and it hasn't even been a whole day! That's a new record, you know; pat yourself on the back." After saying this, she poked the tip of my nose. "…Boop."

"…Snrk…" I couldn't help but start to laugh a little, even as my eyes were red from crying.

"Hmmm?"

"You're so f-funny sometimes, Kyu."

"…ugh…I'm sure I am. Now, can you get up, please?!" At that,

"Nah. It's c-comfortable down here."

With that said, I stood up and hugged Kyu. Really hard. Like, never letting go. She didn't resist at all.

"By the way, Tara, we're not going to be compatible. So don't go flirting with me like one of the girls on your HunieBee."

"Aww, w-why n-not? You're c-certainly k-kind enough f-for me…" I smiled widely even as I blushed madly at my own words.

Kyu blinked, then silently hugged me back. She was blushing too.

[-]

 _ **What have you done, Kyu? You know the golden rule.**_

* * *

 **End of Chapter**

Oh my god. This chapter got so far away from me it's not funny. I intended it to be a Tiffany & Aiko chapter, but it became 55% Tiffany and 45% Kyu. With bits of Venus shoehorned in. And at over 7000 words, it blew out of proportion.

I didn't mention this in the last chapter's notes, but I'll say it here. If you have any recommendations, catch any spelling/grammar errors, etc, don't hesitate to tell me! I'm only proofreading from my own shoddy vision and Word's spell/grammar check.

With all that said, please review, favorite, follow, and all that. I greatly appreciate it!

Special Thanks to Cypher DS and CrystalMoonlightII for being unofficial Betas for my little story, and who got me back into writing.


	3. Wings

Beginner's Luck

Arc: Gotta Meet 'Em All!

Chapter 3: Wings

* * *

Chapter Polished on September 9, 2016

* * *

"Alright, l-lazybones! It's time get up and t-talk to some ladies~" It was still the last day of February, and Kyu was still sleeping after healing my shoulder.

"Mmmhh… Isn't that my line?"

"It's mine for this moment only."

"Nah…five more minutes."

"Five m-minutes won't help a-after…" I checked my alarm clock; it read '5:33'. "…after nearly five hours of s-sleep in the middle of the d-day! Th-this isn't so n-nice the other w-way around, hmm?"

"You…fine. Just hold on…let me stretch a little…" Kyu begrudgingly shifted her stocking-covered legs, moving to let them dangle off the side. She yawned widely and adorably, raising her gloved arms high over her head and showing off her decent-sized chest. To my amusement, her wings, having been nonexistent since we were at the campus, slowly reformed. A rainbow of light flowed from her back, shaping her butterfly wings before winking away and revealing them. Kyu, having finished her stretch, saw me staring at them and winked playfully.

"Gotta love wings, huh? Yeah, they're pretty great."

"Th-they're beautiful. I didn't say it before, but I'm s-saying it now."

Kyu looked down at the floor, then jumped off and fluttered her shimmering wings. They kept her aloft, and she made her way over to me.

"So, you're ready to go?"

"Y-yes. I'm r-ready. Let's go!"

[-]

I had decided to go to Dawnwood Park, which was a good jog's distance away, so I got some exercise while the sun began painting the sky in reds and purples. The clouds were sparse, but the few that dotted the atmosphere were soft and fluffy-looking. It was surprisingly warm for a February evening, meaning it was still cold enough to make your teeth chatter and wrap your arms around yourself. Running helped keep me warm though, so I had my normal thin jacket and long-sleeved shirt with long jeans.

I entered; seeing brick pathways wind through the park almost like a maze, and the tall trees covering a sea of green grass. The crisp February air kept me going as I slowed to a walk, and I saw the occasional flower patch. As the sun continued to set, the lamps that dotted the red-brick roads flickered to life.

Ahead of me, I saw two women, both with black hair. One of them was sitting on one of the many benches that lined the paths, and the other was stood up and apparently getting ready to go. The woman standing up was very tall and her hair flowed down her back, reaching her lower back. No, I did not look any lower than that, thank you. I heard the last bit of their conversation.

"…you sure you'll be okay, Aiko? You haven't been yourself today." _"She's so soft-spoken…"_

"I told you before, Beli, what happened today…ugh, I don't want to talk about it. I just hope that girl's alright…" _"Wait, that woman's name is Beli? That's…interesting."_

"Yes, that whole situation seems almost unreal. What kind of person would do such a thing, and be a popular football player, at that?" Beli's previously concerned look had dropped into a deep scowl. It didn't fit her.

"He was using his reputation…Ugh, no more. I think I'll stay here until the sun sets. You know how I am." Aiko chuckled a little.

"Yes, yes. That's fine. Will I be seeing you at the studio tomorrow?"

"Ehhh… Yeah. After I grade papers, though. One student of mine has been adamant in getting her papers back." Aiko laughed, and Beli did the same.

"Alright, then. Have a good night!"

"You too!"

With that, Beli walked away, thankfully away from me rather than toward. I felt a little nervous (more than I normally did) eavesdropping on their conversation, but it would have also been awkward to just walk up and say 'hi', then just butt into all of it.

I stopped and took my phone out of my pocket, the case still the tiger-striped green from before. The lock screen was still Tiffany, and as I opened it, I noticed the 'Teacher' block had been named 'Aiko', and had an exclamation point on it instead of a question mark. I looked back at Aiko on the bench, and I noticed that she _did_ look a bit familiar. _"I guess she was the one who got Braden away from us. I'll definitely have to thank her for that."_

I also saw a block for Beli, with an exclamation point on it.

I put the phone away, and gathered my courage. I resumed walking, and went up to the woman. As I did, I noticed her choice of clothing. I nearly got a terrible nosebleed. Her legs were covered by a pair of knee-length short-pants that hugged her sizable thighs, while a mint-colored button-up shirt with a black tie covered barely enough of her…upper area… to be considered appropriate. As in, it left hardly anything to the imagination. The top two buttons were open, giving a generous amount of cleavage, even with the tie. A darker-green zip-up jacket was part of Aiko's outfit, but it only seemed to be extra arm-coverage and nothing more - it was completely undone. Her hair was done up in an almost-bun, with some of the bangs in a white hair clip and the rest left shoulder-length, but it was done so the 'bun' stuck up, visible over her head. Aiko's silver-grey eyes shined in the light behind silver-rimmed glasses, similar to my own that I hardly ever wore, and showed hints of sadness and stress.

As I approached, she noticed me and turned abruptly, making me flinch. "Hey, now. You really shouldn't…" She blinked in recognition.

"Oh! It's you, from the... Are you alright?" Her eyes showed worry, and she leaned up from the bench and gently put a hand on the shoulder that had been dislocated.

"Y-yes, I'm alright now. A friend of mine p-popped it back into place n-not long after that happened. Th-thank you for taking Braden away, Miss…

"Yumi. My name is Aiko Yumi. And you are?"

"T-Tara Weaver."

"You're welcome, Tara. I'm glad I could help. Would you like to sit down and talk a bit?" Her hand let go of my shoulder and patted the bench.

"Y-yes. Thank you."

I sat down quietly, and turned towards Aiko.

"I don't think I've s-seen you at the University before t-today. When did you start t-teaching?"

"Oh… I started yesterday. I've replaced Mr. Tohler as your math teacher; he came down with an illness and won't be back for a while, I've heard."

"So, y-you're j-just a sub, then? Awww…"

"What is it?"

"…I hated Mr. T-Tohler. I swear, he was a total a-asshole. Well, t-to me, at least. He kept t-telling me to go sit in the b-back rows and n-never answered my questions."

"That definitely sounds like an asshole. Well, like I said, I'm going to be here for a while, so you won't have to worry about that." Aiko chuckled a little and let a smirk appear on her face.

"G-good!"

As we talked, I noticed that she looked incredibly young for her age. She was also a few inches shorter than me. I broke a particular moment of silence with a question that stuck in my mind. "H-how old are you, exactly, Ms. Yumi?" Aiko frowned slightly, but let me continue. "You d-don't look like you're much older th-than some of the students at the u-university!"

Aiko's frown quickly turned upside down. "You're sweet, Tara. I'm 21." I had a damn good feeling that was wrong, considering we would be the same age if that was true. While she did look young, she didn't look _that_ young. Not anything against her, she just looked more… _mature_ , if that's the word I'm looking for. "…Nah, I'm fucking with ya. I'm 28." Aiko laughed a little, and I did too.

Another thing crossed my mind. "Do-you…no…L-like, would you be able t-to have your own math class? O-or did Mr. Tohler g-give you lesson plans or something?"

Aiko grimaced on the spot, and turned away. "Ugh…I have a six-year college degree in Applied Mathematics, and I regret it every day. I kinda wanted to major in art history, but…I don't know. Just…I'd…rather _not_ talk about this, okay?"

"Th-that's fine, Ms. Yumi."

"…Just call me Aiko. At least when we're out like this."

"O-oh, alright…A-Aiko."

Aiko laughed out loud at my apprehension. "There's nothing to be scared about, Tara. I won't bite!" At that, she growled at me playfully and bared her teeth.

"O-Oh! Ehehehe!" I giggled at Aiko's teasing, probably blushing a little.

"Anything else you want to talk about?"

"W-well, ummmm…"

"No, wait, _I'll_ ask you a question this time." I nodded, ready and waiting. "Let's see…" Her voice shrunk to a whisper for just a moment. "No…I can't ask a question like that; not after what happened today…" I cocked my head to the side, confused. But, Aiko continued on as if she had never said that. "Oh! What's your ideal vacation like?"

"W-well, s-staying at home, mostly. I don't really have th-that kind of money…"

"Pfft, me neither. I'm with you!"

I giggled a little more, happy that someone understood my consistent money dilemma, even with a steady job. "Do y-you have any hobbies outside of work?"

"Sleeping. No, wait! Gambling! You can't keep me out of the Gold Falls Casino! I would pride myself on my luck, but it isn't that great. But I know I'll win big!"

The hope in her voice made me smile and laugh, which in turn made Aiko's own determined grin grow wider. I looked past her for a second and saw the sun finally begin to dip below the horizon. The reds and purples from before had become much deeper, giving much of the colored sky an indigo tint. Closer to the sun, the sky exploded into bright yellows and deep orange-reds. I stared in wonder as Aiko turned to look behind her.

"What is it, Tar-woahhh… It's beautiful… Damn, I wish I had my coloring notebook with me today. Would've been perfect for a sky like this… At least my phone can take pictures."

Aiko reached into a pocket and grabbed her phone, which was black with an outline of a neon heart. She took a few pictures of the sunset as it slowly disappeared, the both of us in too much awe to speak. A tear probably rolled down my face, but I don't remember for sure.

As the sun finally rolled past our vision, we both realized that it had gotten much colder very quickly. We stood up quickly and began walking back to the closest entrance of the park. "Oh shit, it's already freezing out here…" Aiko began buttoning up her shirt and zipping up her pine-green jacket.

"Y-y-you're telling me… I kn-knew I sh-should've brought a heavier j-jacket…" The jacket I was wearing at the time wasn't too thick. My body's weird; if I'm even slightly cold, I need a thick jacket to keep me really warm, but if I'm running or just plain too hot, I start suffocating in any more than the thin shirt under my hoodie I was wearing at that moment.

"We should hurry home, then. Will I be seeing you at the campus next week?"

"Yeah. I'm scheduled M-Monday through Friday, but I didn't go to class y-yesterday because I got c-called in to work someone else's shift at th-the last minute."

"That's fine, Tara. Oh, ummm… Hmmm… A friend of mine asked me to go to her Yoga class tomorrow. I was wondering if you would like to go too? It's a little after 4:00, and I can't _guarantee_ I'll be there, but I thought it'd be nice to ask."

"I-I c-can't guarantee I'll b-be there either…"

"That's alright. Just tell them I sent you, okay?" She laughed, and I agreed to her request.

[-]

We reached the entrance of the park and I stopped to turn towards Aiko. "Ummm, Aiko…"

"Yyyyesss?" A smirk appeared on her face.

"I have t-to ask…" I had to look down to see into her eyes, as I was that much taller than her, and I willed myself not to glance down any farther.

"Mmmmhmmmmmm?" Her smirk widened, noticing my restraint.

"…Wh-what… Wh-when's y-your birthday? S-so I won't forget it!"

A hint of disappointment flashed in Aiko's eyes as her smirk twitched into a frown for a fraction of a second. "My birthday is November 9th. It's so far away…."

"Pffft, g-get out! Are you s-serious? Mine's N-November 15th!"

"You're kidding!" Aiko laughed out loud, letting her disappointment fade away.

"N-nope! It's th-the m-most important d-day of the y-year for m-me…" I looked down at the ground, tears threatening to fall, and few things I'd forgotten reaching the front of my mind.

"Oh? Why's that? I mean, I'm curious."

Damn it, cover it up _cover it up._ "It's m-my birthday! W-why wouldn't it b-be so important?" I panicked a little, hoping to cover up my blunder.

"O-oh, yeah. Duh. Sorry."

"N-no problem."

 _"The following silence has interrupted your regularly scheduled Tara. Please wait."_

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Well, Tara, I gotta get going. Better grade some papers before I crank-I mean crash into bed. Yeah."

I let that one slide, but I still gave Aiko an unbelieving look. "…W-whatever you say. Hopefully I'll s-see you tomorrow at the studio?"

"Yep! Be a good girl out there!" Her teasing smirk made me blush, but I smiled widely all the same.

"Bye, Aiko!"

She walked away, opposite of the direction I began going. As I went, Kyu, yet again, appeared into existence, flapping her translucent wings beside me. I noticed that her whole body gave off a slight pink glow in the night. We started meandering to my home as the conversation began.

"Wow, champ, that's two for two! It wasn't as fantastical as your first meet with Tiffany, but it went pretty well, I'd say!"

"Y-yeah…It w-was alright… I-I had f-fun." At my words, worry struck Kyu.

"You okay there, Tara?" _"Heh, she's worried about me?"_

"Y-yes, Kyu, I'm f-fine. J-just a l-little tired…"

"Mmmm… no. You're definitely upset about something. Tell me, sister. What's going on that pretty head of yours?" I looked at her in surprise and embarrassment; as I did, the HunieBee in my pocket vibrated and sounded out a happy little jingle. _"I'll check it when I get home."_

"D-don't make m-me blush, K-Kyu… **I'm fine.** "

"…ugh, alright. I'll leave you alone for now. But, if you start moping around like this all the time, it'll be time for me to break out Counselor Kyu, and you do not want that." The concerned look in her eyes remained, but her mouth changed to a mischievous smile.

 _ **Trust her, you don't. Counselor Kyu, while sexy, is not someone to come across.**_

Kyu replied to Venus' foreboding comment before I could. "Oh, heyyy, big boss! Where've you been all day?"

 _ **Watching your**_ **client** _ **, of course. She's the most interesting one I've given you, I think.**_

I was not taking that sitting down. "Oh, s-so I'm 'interesting' t-to y-you, is th-that it?" I struggled not to laugh, as did Kyu.

 _ **Yes, that is it. By the way, you only have a spare few hours left on our bet. Better hurry, or you'll be in deep debt to me. I mean, you'll be able to pay me back in other ways, of course, but I won't force that.**_

Kyu blinked, and stared at me; her eyes were filled with anger and even more worry. "A bet?!"

I, for one, was embarrassed beyond belief at Venus' offer. But, I wasn't going to back down, even with Kyu's fiery glare making me stutter even more than normal.

"V-Venus a-and I m-made a s-simple b-bet. I j-just h-have to g-guess h-her l-last name innnn… F-four tries, n-now, o-or I'll owe h-her 100,000 Munie."

 _ **Or something else…**_

"100,000?! A-are you crazy, Tara? That's so much! Right now, you don't have _any._ …Wait a fucking minute. Did you say 'last name'?"

"Y-y-yeah? Why?"

Kyu's previously anger-concerned appearance carved into a deep, menacing scowl. Her forest-green eyes glossed into a furious, burning red. When I say burning, I mean fire seemed to waver inside those orbs. Her hair did the same, turning into a bonfire out of control. I flinched hard, and I heard Venus whisper quietly in my head.

 _ **Oh heavens.**_

 _ **"Theiatena, what did you tell her?"**_ I couldn't believe my ears.

 _ **Nothing at all, Kyu.**_

Kyu, not believing the goddess, turned towards me with a wicked smile. _**"What's my last name, Tara?"**_ Kyu's demonic visage was, unsurprisingly, accompanied by a reverberating voice. It wasn't demonic, per say, but it was definitely warped.

I weighed my options. _"Either I could say it, and probably die a horrible, burning death, or I could pretend to guess and something I-don't-know will happen. Or-or, I could say 'I don't know', and hope for the best…"_

"…It's Sugardust."

I saw fractures spread throughout Kyu's wings, and the flame in her eyes was washed away, replaced by a frozen blue. Hair froze into icicles. I could see fire still attempting to burn through, but instead there was only...anguish. The tips of Kyu's wings continued to crack and break, and eventually began to fall away into nothingness. She stepped backwards a few steps, and turned to run away.

 _ **Kyu. Before you go, answer me this. What reason would I have to tell Tara anything about your last name? What reason would I have to break our promise? Why would I do such a thing?**_

"I-I… don't know… There isn't…" Kyu's wings had stopped shattering, but didn't reshape. Her eyes turned a bluish-green, as well, tears beginning to flow. "Oh my god, Tara. I… I'm s-so sorry..." She turned back to me and leaped forward without the use of her wounded wings, wrapping her gloved arms around me in a desperate embrace. Luckily for Kyu, I instinctively caught her. "Wh-what kind of fairy am I t-to threaten and accuse you like that? A-and, V-Venus, too. After our p-promise I s-still d-doubted y-you… I'm s-so a-awful…"

I firmly returned her embrace, and tears formed in the corners of my eyes. "…It's okay. N-no harm done, really." Change the subject, ask questions about last name later. "…Do you want me to c-carry you home again?"

Kyu was struggling to burst into sobs, and managed to keep her voice steady. "…It isn't n-necessary. M-my wings will g-grow back in a sec…" Immediately, a swirl of colors swept over Kyu's wings, slowly repairing them.

"Kyu…" I was worried more about Kyu's condition than my own soon-to-be-aching everything. I still had a firm, gentle hold on Kyu, and I didn't really plan on letting go for a while. Her wings finally bloomed, and they were just as beautiful as ever.

"…I'd appreciate it. A lot. Thank you." Kyu looked up into my brown eyes, as hers had returned to their beautiful green, and gave me a half-hearted smirk. "J-just…hands off the chest this time, alright?"

I blushed madly, then nearly dropped her I was laughing so hard.

/\/\/\/\/\ Venus /\/\/\/\/\

Venus closed her HunieQueen tablet, and sighed in relief and pleasure both. Her closest server, Pepper, continued her ministrations. "Crisis averted. My goodness, what an event." She chuckled quietly. "Who knows what could have happened, if I had not intervened when I had…"

"You did well, my lady."

"Thank you, Pepper. I appreciate you being here. I'm not sure if I would have kept my composure without you."

Pepper smiled widely, still working on her mistress. "Thank you, and you're very welcome, my lady."

"…When we're alone, Pepper, please call me Theiatena. I've told you time and again."

"…As you say…my lady." The small fairy stopped to laugh, her charcoal-black hair fluttering.

Venus pretended to be upset, but couldn't hold it for long. "I do have to ask, Pepper. What do you think of Kyu's… actions?"

Pepper immediately frowned and turned away from Venus, but refrained from immediately commenting.

"…mmm…I don't think most fairies would agree with what she's done, and what she plans to do. I am one of those, but I can also understand why she'd do it, given her past."

"…I see."

"May I speak freely, Theiatena?"

"Yes, Pepper. Always."

"…If Kyu does go through with her plans, and you allow it, I advise not letting her come back to Sky Garden. You know how many times she's broken the Golden Rule, and so do the managers, and so do the other workers. They'll tear her apart if they hear what she's done – if she goes through with it. In all honesty, she's the luckiest fairy I've ever known – _you_ are the only reason why she's survived this long, Theiatena."

"…I understand, Pepper. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, I'll observe as I always have."

Pepper frowned slightly at Venus' words, but accepted them. "…Yes, my lady."

"…You are dismissed." With the sound and smell of a crackling, warm fire, Pepper popped out of existence; away to her own business.

As Venus reopened the HunieQueen, she immediately missed the feeling of soft hands on her bare shoulders. She'd have to get used to it, though, with all the traveling to do soon. "It seems I'll get to spread my wings again…"

* * *

 **End of Chapter**

Another chapter completed! I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I did writing it!

I have decided on a new 'system' for uploading chapters. I'm going to release two at a time. It may take longer to finish writing each pair, but in return, you guys will have more to read each time! And if something IRL comes along and it takes longer for me to write and release new chapters, you'll have two chapters instead a meager single chapter! That being said, this chapter is being released before chapter 4 is finished, cause the only reason why this chapter wasn't released earlier was because chapter 4 wasn't done. Now that I've really thought about it, if I get stuck on a second chapter out of the two-chapter release, then I'll submit the first one early – like right now. I hope that explanation made sense! If it didn't, tell me in a review and I'll do my best to explain it further!

ALSO! Chapter lengths will vary greatly from one to another; it all depends on what happens in the chapter itself, and how much my hands can take at a time. Generally, the chapters will be between 2000-6000 words, but some may go over and some may end up under that. I hope you all understand.

Thank you all for reading! Please review, favorite, follow, and all that. I greatly appreciate it!

 _(As of this chapter's release, my announcement-of-return chapter is being deleted. It is no longer necessary, now that I am back. Thank you!)_


	4. Attention

Beginner's Luck

Arc: Gotta Meet 'Em All

Chapter 4 – Attention

* * *

Chapter Polished September 13-19, 2016

* * *

We returned to my home at nearly 6:45, give or take a few minutes. Kyu and I didn't have too much to talk about, so I merely kept her close on the long walk home. Like I said, she kept me warm and I somehow kept her warm too, even with her incredibly skimpy outfit.

I had to gently shake Kyu awake in my arms when we arrived at the door. She yawned, before begrudgingly allowing me to put her down so I could open the door. This time, I didn't need Venus' help. As I set Kyu down, however…

"Wow, Tara. Your boobs are, like, the best pillows **ever.** They were so warm and squissshhhhyyyyy!"

I froze, an unmatched blush forming on my face. I somehow otherwise kept my composure, and turned to face Kyu in all of her mischievous glory. I almost gave her one of my patented death-glares-of-death, but I had a better idea. One that I never would have dared to even think about without Kyu influencing me. "Kyu."

"Hm?"

"If y-you ever want to use these pillows again," At this, I hugged myself tight. "th-then it would be in your b-best interest to shut up."

Kyu stopped dead, eyes flickering blue in fear and… longing? "…Okay. Deal. I'll only stare into them like they're paradise instead of talking about them. …Effective in five seconds."

"Wait, what?"

Kyu immediately stepped forward, cupping my breasts – one in each hand. "Your boobs are perfect Tara. No getting around it. They're huge, but **why don't they sag?!** It's like, magic or something! I mean, I don't want them to sag; they're so perfect! **...Why don't I have tits like these?!"**

I nearly jumped back and slapped Kyu across the face like earlier today, but…I decided to go on a less violent route. I pushed Kyu's surprisingly gentle hands away. "Alright, Kyu, you brought this on yourself."

"Huh?"

"You, uh, _really_ aren't going to like what happens next."

"What are you talking about?!"

I quickly pulled out my keys, opened the front door, and rushed in before closing and locking it behind me. Kyu not included.

"Oh." I could almost feel Kyu's confusion.

"…Now that I think about it, this didn't accomplish much." I locked Kyu out. Woohoo…? _"Why was this a good idea, again?"_

"You're right. It didn't." On my left, a large pink portal appeared. Then Kyu walked through it.

"…I wasn't expecting that."

"Well, now you know. Walk through walls. Pretty sweet, right?"

"Something like that is normal at this point. I mean, you can turn invisible, fly, and now walk through walls. All part of the routine."

Kyu frowned a little at that, but quickly flipped back to a cute smile. "Ahhhh, the perks of being a love-fairy..."

"…Fair enough. I'm g-gonna get to gaming. I've been missing it."

"Fine by me."

At that, Kyu quickly shuffled into my bed, piling up pillows around her head and curling up into an adorable ball of sleepy-fairy. "Goodnight, Tara."

"…Goodnight. I'll t-try not to wake you up when I go to bed too."

"Mmmmmwhatever."

I quickly gathered up my headphones, and picked out a fairly new MMORPG to play. I'd played through it a few times already, so I decided to start a new character. Maybe I'd meet someone else to play with…

[-]

The character on the screen swung her sword a few times in succession, successfully destroying the blob enemy.

I sighed, remembering how slow the beginning of the game was. I set my Paladin character to 'Idle' before putting down the controller and checking the alarm clock.

"W-wow, it's only 8:30? 's felt longer th-than that…"

Suddenly, a feminine voice responded to my rambling through the headset I had completely forgotten I was wearing. "I know, right? The beginning always takes forever."

"Oh! I-I didn't know other people played on th-this server…"

"Heh, I didn't know either. Actually, I don't normally play the more modern games, but this one reminds of me of the classics I normally play. Like, it has the adventure that I enjoy, and it still has just enough story to draw you in but you don't drown in it. And it's not a stupid first person shooter, so that's a plus." I had found my gaming partner. After all these years…

"Yeah! I've actually p-played through this game a few times n-now. I've been trying out the different classes, replaying the dungeons, you know."

"Hey, I'm doing the same thing! Which class is your favorite?"

"Ahhh, I'd have to say sorceress. Magic spells beat short-ranged swords every time. Even with warriors that can charge you, you can just teleport away."

"What?! Archer's the way to go! You can go through the Hunter skill tree and get a pet to tank for you!"

"Hey, I'm not judging. Just, you know, arrows cost money. Magic does not." I smirked proudly.

"But you have to manage mana! The archer just has to buy cheap arrows and you win."

"But mana's easy to work with, even with lower levels. And with the Frost skill tree, you get an ice elemental that can tank and help you do insane amounts of damage, even to groups of enemies. And-Wait, before we continue arguing, we should probably find each other in-game."

"Oh, yeah, hold on."

I walked around, killed a few more mobs, then saw a blue-haired rogue character dressed in a black cloak. 'Marie' floated above the character's head.

"Is this you?"

"Who else?"

I snickered a little. "It's nice to meet you, Marie."

"Same to you, Zhonya."

I giggled louder into my microphone as I looked closer at Marie, and she replied in rather annoyed confusion. "What's so funny?"

"It just seems kinda *snrk* funny to me that you've given the _rogue_ character bright blue hair. Isn't that, like, the opposite of stealth?"

"Oh, shut up. My account name is 'LadySapphire', after all. It's my calling card."

I checked her profile, and I saw that this was true. "Oh. So it is. Alright, that checks out."

The girl on the other side responded with a raspy yet adorable giggle, like she suddenly started losing her voice. "Hehe, I told you! …Oh shit!"

"What is it…ohhhhhh." Back on the game screen, a boss' health bar had appeared on the screen, and another player was running from something. That something, much to our terror and surprise, was the area's boss; a massive wolf over 10 levels higher than us - the normal level indicator was replaced with a skull. It would rip us to shreds if it started attacking us instead. That would guarantee, of course, that it began chasing.

I responded appropriately. "O-oh _fuck._ Just start r-running!"

"Waaayyy ahead of you!"

So we ran, and ran. Thankfully, our clearing of many of the enemies in the area let us run without getting any more to chase us down. We ended up back at the closest town, with the boss still on our heels. At the last minute, it stopped and ran back to its home.

I was still gasping for air, even though I hadn't actually done any running. Marie spoke first.

"Oh my god. That's never happened before… Who would be such an _idiot_ as to aggro the boss when they weren't ready to fight it?! I mean, don't drag it back to where everyone else is, at the very least!"

"…whew… Yeah, that was pretty dumb. Ugh…man, my heart… Oh, and guess what?"

"What?"

"A sorceress can turn invisible and lose all aggro."

The character in the game, and the person speaking to me, began laughing out loud, eventually taking off her headphones. I couldn't help but chuckle myself, and waited while the girl put her headphones back on. "…Heh, you've surprised me. I've actually had fun playing a multiplayer game with someone. Usually they lag behind and get killed or don't know what they're doing, but you've been an exception."

"I'm f-flattered, Marie." I was… sort of.

"…J-just call me Nikki. It's my actual name."

"O-okay. Nikki. M-my name, whether y-you want to know or not, is Tara."

"Tara? That's sounds…familiar. Hmmm… Is your last name Weaver?"

"Yes, why?"

"Do you live in Glenberry?"

"Yyyesssss…?" _"Is this the same Nikki that Tiffany mentioned?"_

"Tiffany mentioned you! She told me about what happened at the college. Are you…alright?" I totally called it.

"Yep! A friend of mine helped pop my shoulder back into place."

"Ah, that's good."

An awkward silence passed between us, before I broke it.

"…Hey, Nikki?"

"Yeah?"

"…w-would you like to m-meet up at the arcade in the m-mall t-tomorrow?"

"Of fucking course…"

I was very much taken aback, and nearly angrily retaliated. But I kept my composure as well as possible. "Is there a p-problem?" It was very straining to not yell. _"Don't want to wake up Kyu."_

"Kinda... I can't go. My… friend… Audrey decided to take me to the Nightclub tomorrow. She told me to meet her there at 6:00, but I'm not taking any chances in making her more of a bitch than norm-oops. I'm rambling. I'm probably gonna meet her at 5:30 or something, so she doesn't get on my case about being late. It's so stupid- _she knows that I hate the Nightclub_ , but at least she's _trying._ "

Nikki had strained the word 'friend' like it was bad-tasting medicine, but that rant at the end guaranteed that I was going to at least try to be there for her. I can ignore the blaring music (I can really only stand loud music if it's through earbuds/headphones) and the occasional… 'dancer' for Nikki's sake. I'm still questioning the choice, though.

"The Nightclub? Really?"

"It's never my decision to go there if I do. Normally Audrey takes me there, but sometime Tiffany goes with us. I hope she'll be there this time, too." Tiffany might be there? Oh, I am so there! ...I swear, I'm not a selfish little bitch. I really wanted to be there for Nikki.

"I m-might go too. To keep you company."

"…Are you serious?"

"Sure. I wouldn't want you to…suffer, I guess. If anything, we can leave and go somewhere else. You'll have gone to the club like Audrey wanted you to, spent some time there, and then left with a friend."

"Really?" Nikki's voice dropped to an adorable whisper. "…Are we really friends? I mean, I'm grateful for what you say you'll do," Her voice quickly raised back into a raspy tone. "…but we don't even know each other, other than our names, and we actually met five minutes ago running from a giant wolf in a game!"

Cynical. I see… "A-all the more reason t-to be friends! We j-just survived a life-and-death situation!"

"Ha… I suppose. I guess…when, or should I say 'if', you show up at the Nightclub, we'll properly meet."

"This is true. See you at 5:30-ish then, Nikki?"

"…Sure."

I turned the console off, then the TV. The normal whine of power from the system had gone, leaving me in total silence besides Kyu's shallow, rhythmic breaths. I shook off my headset, replacing it and the controller beside the console. "I should probably get cleaned up for school tomorrow…"

I pulled the HunieBee out of my pocket and unlocked it. The first thing I saw was a blinking app-block that made me gasp out loud.

'Kyu'

I stared at it, unbelieving. _"What happens now? What happens to the rest of her 'job'?_ "

I managed to tear my eyes away, saving that for later, and saw a block for Nikki as well, with an exclamation point. I smiled, and couldn't wait for tomorrow. Just before I retired for the night, I remembered my 'bet' with Venus.

 _"Can I… call her?"_

 _ **Yes, you can.**_

"Oh! Cool! I wanted to tell you- your last name is Venus. Your first name is Theiatena."

 _ **Bravo. Here's your Munie.**_

My HunieBee buzzed in my pocket, and a quick glance at it showed a message.

100,000 Munie Added to Account!

"…What? No fanfare?"

 _ **Woohoo.**_

"That's better."

[-]

I pulled my baggy grey sweatpants and t-shirt on, as I didn't have 'pajamas', technically. Kyu was lightly snoring, face squished between two pillows. No, they were not connected to my torso, thank you very much.

I slowly and carefully pulled the comforter and sheets open and slid into my own bed which was mostly taken over by Kyu. I did my best to get comfortable, managing to grab a spare pillow and enough blankets to keep warm during the night. The last blanket I grabbed, however, was apparently caught somewhere on Kyu's person, and she shuffled in her sleep. Backwards. To where I ended up spooning her by complete accident. Thankfully, it seemed that a fairy's wings disappear when sleeping, so they weren't in the way. My bed may be big enough for two people to have some room, but not that much. And now here we were; me blushing brighter than the pink of Kyu's hair and Kyu herself snuggled against my bust and thighs. Goddamn it.

[-] /\/\/\/\/\ Tiffany /\/\/\/\/\ [-]

I kept a firm hold on Tara's wrist as we walked away from the stream of college students also leaving the Science Wing. "First of all, how's your shoulder? I thought there was some damage after… all that." _"Don't mess this up!"_

"I-It's fine. A friend of m-mine popped it back into place…" I saw Tara's eyes flick around the room, but it's probably just from thinking of what happened yesterday; I'd be a little paranoid at this point too.

"Oh! That's pretty cool! Still, are you sure you'll be fine?"

Tara laughed a little at my insistence. "Y-yes, Tiffany, I'll be fine. Th-thank you, though." She reached both arms under mine and gave me a caring hug. Blushes appeared on both of our faces, though mine wasn't nearly as deep as hers.

"You know, Tara, you don't have to squeeze so tight…" I smirked, hoping to get a reaction out of her.

"Mmmmm…d-don't care." Tara hugged me a little tighter, blushing madly yet smiling from ear to ear. I blushed just as much, if not more than Tara did.

"You're lucky everybody's left already. You know how those gossips are." I've always hated those girls, and most people think I'm one of them!

"Still don't care. Though, we should g-get going."

"Y-yeah, you're right." But, Tara didn't let go.

"…"

"…Tara?"

"Yes?"

"…You, uh, gonna let me go?" I wanted to think this was normal Tara, if not suddenly more confident, but something felt…off.

"We can walk like th-this, right?" Her mouth formed a mischievous smile.

"It'd be best not to risk anything, I think."

Tara pulled away from me, and I nearly took a step back. _"This is a bit early to be so clingy~"_

"We definitely need to get going, Tara."

"Alright! L-let's go!"

Tara sped ahead of me, and I slowly followed and lost myself in my thoughts. _"What's up with her today? I'm happy to see her so energetic, and she definitely seems more confident, I think. But she's flipping through emotions like changing channels…"_

"C-come on, slowpoke! We better hurry to Ai-Miss Y-Yumi's class. She'll have o-our hides if we're late!"

"Oh!"

/\/\/\/\/\ Aiko /\/\/\/\/\

Aiko glanced over at the clock above her desk, watching the last few precious seconds tick away before her final class for the day began. Surprisingly, Tiffany hadn't arrived yet. And, by looking at the names given…neither had Tara.

Immediately, Tiffany and Tara entered. The two didn't seem to be in a mad dash to get here before the bell rang, but they brought attention to themselves very quickly with a quick sprint to their seats – Tara being one seat behind Tiffany who sat in the first row. The moment that they sat down, the bell rang for class to begin; Aiko sighed in vengeful anger at the concept of time before starting.

/\/\/\/\/\ Tara /\/\/\/\/\

I didn't think Aiko could really get any sexier, what with her unbuttoned shirt-and-tie from the other day. Oh, I was so wrong. Today, what she was wearing threatened my chaste sanity; an unbelievably tight-looking yellow sleeveless vest with a collared long-sleeved t-shirt underneath with the sleeves folded up to the elbows, and what seemed to be a pencil skirt covered barely enough of her thighs to be considered appropriate (not that I'm complaining) while black stockings and garter belts accentuated the rest of her long legs, down to her open-toed heels. Oh, and her hair was let down to flow around her shoulders, with that same cute white hairclip from yesterday.

I nearly squealed out loud at seeing Aiko's stockings, but managed to refrain from doing so until I could press my face into my sweater sleeves. _"Why must these people torture me with their sexy and/or adorable outfits?!"_

"Now that everyone's here, I think, we can get started."

I couldn't let this go. There were so many things scrambling in my head, and most of them were focused on naughty things about the beautiful, sexy teacher at the front of the room. _"Uggghhh… Just have to pull myself together for an hour. Nothing terrible. I can do this. This is absolutely nothing compared to what I managed to do yesterday."_

And so began my own torture. I mean, it shouldn't be torture, but… **those freaking stockings. AGH.**

[-]

Tick-tock. Aiko speaks, and I write down everything with no problems. When she stops, and I finish writing, my eyes flick upward at her. She's refolding her sleeves in boredom, and I can't help but look into those gray, tired eyes. They're beautiful. She suddenly caught my eyes, and raised an eyebrow with that trademark amused smirk. I blushed and stared down at my notes, hoping that she doesn't catch me staring again.

[-]

Damn it, she caught me again. Every time it happened she seemed more amused, and every time it happened I blushed and looked away. And each progressive time, it'd be for something else. Staring into her eyes, roving over her curves, or torturing myself ever further with those stockings. _"I'm such a creep. I'm so bad… But why isn't she mad at me? I'd imagine her sending me out, or something, but she's letting it go?! I feel so…wrong, but I can't help it…"_

[-]

At long last, yet at my inner perverse anger, the bell signaled the end of my sanity test. Aiko sighed in relief at the moment that I did, but for obviously different reasons. I slowly stood up, legs still a little weak, and grabbed my things. Tiffany stood up, and quickly raced to Aiko's desk.

"Ms. Yumi? When are we getting our papers back?"

"…I'll grade papers tonight, Tiffany. I'm sure you've done well."

"A-are you sure? …Well, alright. Thank you!"

"It's no problem."

Tiffany grabbed her books as well, and we began to leave. But, Aiko called for me as everyone else began to spill out of the room as well. I waved Tiffany on, saying I'd catch up, and begrudgingly went over to Aiko's desk.

"Wh-what did you need, Ms. Yumi?"

"I told you, and I've told Tiffany. Call me Aiko."

"R-right. Ummm…"

"I know that you know that I caught you staring. What do you have to say for yourself, Tara?" Aiko raised an eyebrow, arms folded over her large bust.

I couldn't meet Aiko's eyes. I wanted to melt into the floor and rot like the rotten little shit I was. I started to cry a little, letting tears form and fall away. "I-I c-couldn't help it… I'm so s-sorry…" I started to turn away and just _go_ , but Aiko put a firm, yet gentle hand on my shoulder.

"Now, wait, there's no need to cry or run away; it's rather flattering to know I'm doing something right with my choice of clothes."

"B-but I-"

"No buts. For whatever reason, may it be my own intuition or you just being you, you're… different. It's not like the stares I get from most of the people I know, including many of your classmates, that are disgusting and …ugh. You're different. I feel appreciated; and it was kinda funny to make you squirm and blush."

Even at her words, which did make me feel better, I was still a little teary-eyed. I wanted to hug her in gratitude and run away in embarrassment at the same time. "Th-that's, n-not very nice…"

Aiko giggled, before she returned back to an amused smirk. "You don't know me very well, do you? I'll make you suffer in embarrassment and _enjoy it._ " She playfully bared her teeth, like she had done at the park.

I couldn't help but laugh at that, and gave my own wavering smirk. "With that outfit, I have to ask…" _"Will my…work…with Kyu pay off?"_

"Hmmm?" I thought I saw a faint blush, but Aiko kept a straight face.

"…Were you aiming for me? Cause you've pierced my heart." Wow, Tara. That's a new low. Get out. Boo.

Aiko blinked, before chuckling a little. "That's awful. You've been banished from my class. Terrible pick-up lines at school? To the teacher?"

"Wh-what can I say? You bring out the worst in me." Tara, you're becoming hysterical.

"Oh? If that's the case…" Aiko leaned back on her desk and looked around the room for any straggling students.

"I have to ask you something. A few somethings, actually."

"Oh?" I can't wait.

"…What's your biggest turn on? I may as well start with the weakest question."

"…W-w-what?" " _Weakest question?! What is she talking about?!"_ As you'd expect, a blush bloomed on my face.

"You heard me." Aiko had the most amused look I've ever seen, outside of straight-up laughing. She knew.

"…I-If y-you're being serious…"

"I am. Tell me."

Might as well answer her question, then. No point in blubbering on forever. "I-It's p-probably a tie b-between…" _"Oh my god, this is embarrassing… Who asks questions like this? At_ _**school?!**_ "

Aiko leaned a bit closer, ever the tease. "Come on…"

I whispered my words, praying to Venus again that they wouldn't be used against me. _"I'm not sure if this counts as 'bold'."_ "U-ummm… A t-tie between s-s-stockings a-and…a l-large b-bust…"

Aiko chuckled at that, and placed an arm under her breasts, teasingly and torturously emphasizing them. "Ahhhh… Now I see why you came up to me!"

I couldn't help but cover my eyes with my arms, hoping to block out the world and its sexy teachers.

"Tara… It's rude to not look at whoever's speaking to you…" I whined in anguish, hoping to make that alluring voice _stop. Taunting. Me._

I uncovered one eye, and Aiko's smirk had turned gentle and calm. Patient. Her arms that had previously accentuated her bust had returned to leaning back on the desk. I released my arms entirely, still blushing. I was about to leave, but…

"And you said something about stockings? I happen to own quite a few pairs, but these are my favorite…" Aiko had slipped off a heel while I wasn't looking, and raised that leg up to her desk. Aiko raised a provocative eyebrow, bringing her arms up to that leg. My eyes followed her pale hands up to the stocking strap, and I could just barely see up her tight skirt. I was sure I was about to have nosebleed right then and there. Those garter belts taunted me; their tight hold on her thighs-

"…Achoo!" I instinctively covered my nose with my arm before sneezing; thankfully nothing came out. _"Where did that come from?"_

"Are you getting a cold, Tara? It wouldn't surprise me, since it's still chilly outside."

"Y-yes. I g-guess this sweater isn't enough…"

"I'll let you get going. See you tomorrow!" Aiko gave me a wink, and I smiled awkwardly, nodding, before grabbing my things again and turning to leave.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" I flinched, before looking back over my shoulder.

"I'm not going to Beli's yoga today… Too many papers to grade."

"I-I understand. I'll still go, though."

"That's fine. Just wanted to let you know. And, Tara?"

"…Y-yes?"

"The next time we talk like this, you _will_ be punished." She smirked at me again.

My blush somehow grew deeper, and I nearly fled her classroom. I justified it as needing to leave and catch up to Tiffany.

/\/\/\/\/\ Tiffany /\/\/\/\/\

Tiffany couldn't believe her ears. She'd been waiting patiently just outside of Ms. Yumi's classroom, doing her best to not eavesdrop, when…

"What's your biggest turn on?"

Tiffany nearly dropped her phone on the spot as a deep blush formed on her cheeks. She missed most of the conversation after that due to her own reaction. _"What the hell?! Ms. Yumi?! W-what's going on in there?! …I can't just barge in. Not now… I mean, maybe they know each other outside of school? Surely this is just normal small talk for them, or something. Tara doesn't seem like the kind of girl to casually talk about these things, but who knows…"_

"Ah, now I see why you came up to me!"

 _"What are they talking about now… Why am I still listening to them? I should just leave, and-"_

"Tara, it's rude to not look at whoever's speaking to you…" _"Why does she sound so…sensual? Ugh, now I'm making it worse…"_ A deeper blush appeared, and Tiffany wanted to smack herself across the face.

After a pause, Aiko spoke again. "And you said something about stockings? I happen to own quite a few pairs, but these are my favorite…" Tiffany juggled the thought of listening in more and possibly ruining her cover/hurting Tara/something else bad, or just walking away now and talking to Tara later. She took the second option, but she promised herself she would never mention this to anyone. _"This is definitely the most suspicious thing I've ever heard, besides what my own mother tried to fool me into thinking… I'll pull Tara aside the next time I see her outside of school, and we'll talk about... this. Through anything, Tara's important to me."_

Tiffany quickly and quietly stepped away from the… scene, and left the University for the day.

[-]/\/\/\/\/\ Tara /\/\/\/\/\\[-]

I couldn't find Tiffany anywhere, so I chalked it up to taking too long talking to Aiko. As I left the University, Kyu popped into existence again.

"Goddamn it, Tara! What is with you and torturing me?" Kyu had an expression of both relief, pretend anger, and near-laughter.

"Wh-what are you talking about? Aiko was torturing _me_!"

"You did that on fucking purpose, and you know it!" Kyu giggled, and but I did not.

"It's not my fault that Aiko was wearing stockings today! Jeez…"

"What, are mine not good enough?!" Kyu was still laughing, but I noticed a hint of slight jealousy. Whoops? Umm…

"L-long socks are good, but those garter belts are…just, wow. Like, those straps! They w-were so tight… I'm surprised she hasn't g-gotten fired for being t-too provocative in the classroom or something..."

"…What's made you so bold?" Kyu seemed a little peeved…

"…It's all your fault. You've become a bad influence on me…"

"That's a good thing! Now, you won't die every time you talk to a girl! …Just ones that wear stockings or have big boobs. *gasp* _That's why you've gotten so casual around me!_ I knew it!" I wanted to believe Kyu was being funny again, but I couldn't help but think there was something actually upset in that…

"N-No! You're just… I don't know… normal? Now? I guess? I mean, I grew to understand you'd exist in my life, and I'd have to get used to-"

"Ohhhhh! So I'm just something to get used to, huh? Is that how you see me?" Kyu was definitely getting upset now; I felt tears form in the corners of my brown eyes as I stared unbelieving into Kyu's green.

"B-but… N-no! That's not…" I sighed, trying to get my voice to stop sputtering. "…It's not that you are something that I begrudgingly have to get used to, but something that I have to…adapt to, I guess is what I'm looking for? Like, who would really understand finding out fairies exist, with magical love powers, and become wingmen to help you get a girl/boyfriend?"

"…"

"Exactly! Now, you, Kyu, are not something that I can or want to pass over. Not something to be ignored, or something to be considered an annoyance, at least to me. You're beautiful, and kind when you want to be. You may be abrasive and a little bossy at times, but that's something I have gotten used to, because that's a part of YOU. And there's nothing I'd want to change about you."

"T-Tara?"

"Yes, Kyu?"

"…Thank you. I wasn't fishing for compliments, I swear, but…thanks. Really! You know how to make a girl happy, you know that?" She gave me a caring smirk, and I gave her a quick hug before bolting back home. Kyu fluttered behind me, keeping pace.

"Now, did I hear something about Yoga?"

"Yep! It's starting pretty soon, so I want to get home and get ready quickly."

Kyu turned invisible again as I jogged home, and my HunieBee buzzed in my pocket along the way.

I stopped to open it, Kyu still out of sight. Both Tiffany', Aiko's, and Kyu's blocks were blinking, and I tapped Tiffany's first. At the same time, I realized I hadn't done this yet. The headshot of Tiffany released a large bordered screen, covering everything else, with the picture being a centerpiece. Fifteen hearts folded out in a silly fashion, but only three of them were filled in with a pink color; the rest were dark, with locks placed over them.

Kyu immediately appeared, with a concerned look on her face. "Woah woah! Hold on! Why is…"

"W-what is it?"

"These aren't…Why are they locked?"

"I just haven't gotten that far yet? Maybe?" If Kyu didn't know what was going on, then…

"Well, if it obvious enough, these hearts measure how much a girl likes you. Since you've only just met, but were part of an event that will be very difficult for either of you to forget, you've already gotten up to three hearts on the Love Meter. Fill up all fifteen, and you may as well be married to each other and constantly making out, if you're not already."

"Okay…"

"And as you go along, the darker hearts will continue to be filled in. But now, they can't be. Because they're locked. Usually the hearts get locked if something happens between you and your girl, such as a big fight, and they won't unlock until you've resolved the issue."

"That sounds reasonable, but nothing like that happened with Tiffany… What did I do wrong this time?"

"I'm not saying it's your fault, Tara! Just, something happened and neither of us know what it is. The only thing you can do is try to talk to Tiffany, and find out what's bothering her!"

"I think I'd be doing that anyway, to be honest…"

I looked at the rest of Tiffany's 'profile', and there was a large section labeled 'Details'. Nearly every single one of them made sense; 'Height' and 'Weight', 'Education", 'Hobby', 'Fav. Color', etc. But one stood out.

"C-cup size?!"

"Yep!"

"That's…"

"Something you'll learn as you go. Don't worry about it. Think of it as learning about your girl, and just having a cheat sheet to remember everything about them! You're just dedicated, that's all." Is Kyu… trying to make me feel better about stalking someone? Maybe I really _have_ changed her.

"…Sure. Let's go with that." I noticed I had filled in a few of Tiffany's 'Details', such as her favorite color, education, hobby, and her 'Fav. Hangout', which was the college itself. I was about to check on Aiko's profile next, but saw something that caught my eye first. At the very top of the screen, above Tiffany's picture, was a 'Favored Trait' and a 'Disliked Trait'.

"That's what you look for when using the Grid to get bonuses for your girls. See, Tiffany likes Flirtation, the green ones, and doesn't like Sexuality, the red ones."

"Ah! That makes sense."

I backed out of Tiffany's profile to the hub screen, and tapped on Aiko's icon next. Two pink hearts appeared under the portrait, and I couldn't help but blush a little. I noticed that Sexuality was favored by Aiko, if that wasn't obvious enough, and Talent was the opposite.

"That makes sense. Being a teacher, and an overqualified one at that, she probably doesn't really care about or want to see talent."

"There you go, champ! You're using that pretty head of yours!"

Even though she'd used that line before, I very much appreciated Kyu's compliment. I gave her a hug in return.

"H-hey! Not out in public! Who knows what'll happen if someone sees this?" Oh. She's got a point.

I immediately let go, but Kyu whined. "Did I say you could stop hugging me?"

I chuckled a little, making her fume, but it was all in good fun. I decided to wait on checking Kyu's profile until she wasn't literally hovering over my shoulder. We kept going back to my home so I could get ready for yoga.

This could only end well.

* * *

 **End of Chapter**

Thank you all for reading! I apologize for how long this chapter took to release, but I had to work over it for longer than I had expected. I ended up rewriting, rewriting, then completely removing a scene because I wasn't sure if it would fit or not. I'll probably use that later at some point, where the characters can fill the scene better. Also, I ended up splitting this chapter into two separate ones, and I mulled over that as well.

I have a lot of ideas for upcoming chapters, so hopefully they won't take as long, but there are absolutely no guarantees. I wish I could set a time to write and publish more of Beginner's Luck but school and life in general just won't allow it.

 **Leave a like, review, and anything else you can think of! It is greatly appreciated!**


	5. Plenty O' People (Fairies Included)

Beginner's Luck

Arc: Gotta Meet 'Em All

Chapter 5 – Plenty O' People (Fairies Included)

* * *

We arrived home to grab my bike and a couple bottles of water, and I changed into better work-out clothes. I kept my normal blue hoodie-jacket on for the cold, but had a simple white t-shirt under it with grey sweatpants. I'm not one for dedicated outfits – I just throw on what's appropriate and it normally works.

I biked to the Fitness Center, and secured it to the rack by the front door. An ocean-blue bike was also there; at a closer look I realized it was the exact same brand as my own, though mine was a dark green. "I wonder who's this is…"

Walking in, I checked the time on my HunieBee. '3:53'. "Heh, I got here just in time..." I walked towards the "Upper Body" section of the workout stations, hoping to get in something before the Yoga class at 4:00.

I managed a good session at the Chest Press, but found out that I needed a little more arm strength. I pride myself on my powerful legs, with all the walking and biking I normally do, but my arms? Nah. I was just finishing up before looking for the Yoga class, when I met (yet another) beautiful woman.

"Hey, mind if I take that machine when you're done?"

I turned towards the voice, and froze. The first thing I saw were the purple eyes that threw me wayyy off. I noticed she was wearing a surprising amount of makeup and a pair of small gold hoop earrings – while working out. Finally was the bright blue sleeveless shirt she was wearing that had the lowest neckline I'd ever seen. I didn't dare look any lower than that.

"Oh, y-yeah. Sure! I'm just finishing up another set b-before the Yoga class."

"Oh! I'm going to that, too! I know the instructor personally; she's awesome!"

I finished the session with renewed vigor, but I did have a question for the waiting girl when I got off. "U-ummmm… th-this is a bit embarrassing, but… C-could you show me where the Yoga class is?"

"Oh, yeah! Just let me do my own set and I'll take you!"

As I sat down and took a long drink of my water, the HunieBee in my pocket buzzed. I pulled it out and opened it up, seeing a new icon of the girl working out in front of me. No name yet. _"I don't plan on a relationship with any of these girls except Tiffany, but I can at least befriend them. Won't hurt a thing."_ I put it away, and looked up at the woman at the machine. She strained, focused on her workout, and I noticed the weight set – '85 lbs'.

"W-wow, you're strong…" _"Did I seriously just say that out loud…"_ I had a hope that she hadn't heard me, but at my words she did one last press, then stopped, letting the bars lightly set back.

"Heh, th-thanks. Whew… The chest press is one of my favorite stations in here; up there with the treadmills."

"Heh…"

"Before we go, I'd like to ask your name – I don't think I've seen you around before, and I pride myself on knowing the regulars."

"My name's Tara! A-and I don't come to the Fitness Club very often. I'm b-busy most of the time; I g-go to the university and I have a job at the Sh-Shopping Mall. Most of the exercise I get is from w-walking or b-biking back and forth."

"My name's Kyanna! And I know what you mean. I used to be that busy… but, ehhhh…you know?" Kyanna stopped, looking down; both emotionally and physically.

"…I-is it s-something p-personal?"

"K-kinda…"

"…I… I-I'm here anytime you need to talk!"

Kyanna perked up at that; a slight blush appearing on her face. "Thanks, Tara. We've just met and you're already a good friend!"

"Ehehehe! I-I t-try…" I chuckled a little and blushed, flattered at her words.

"We should get going! It's 4:00, and we don't want to be late!"

"Y-yeah!"

So we walked across the club floor, reaching a door with a label next to it – 'Class Room. Yoga classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays starting at 5:00 p.m. Sunday classes occasionally, time and date depend on instructor. | Dance classes on…' It continued to list many other classes I was not interested in.

"Heeeeeere we are!" Kyanna excited spoke aloud, reaching for the doorknob. As we walked in, I saw only three people. A rather short girl with blazing red hair in a ponytail wearing black workout clothes similar to mine, a rather tall woman with jet black shoulder-length hair and olive-green eyes wearing a full-on yoga outfit, and Beli.

I finally saw her eyes, and they glowed with a kind-hearted maroon color. Her hair flowed down her back in curls and spirals, like at the park, and she wore rather revealing purple clothes. It was in two pieces and left her midriff out in the open; the top made me think of a sports bra with gold fringes, and her legs we covered by a pair of hot-pants with a thin veil covering them that stretched down to her ankles. Beli also wore pointed gold shoes, and I'm pretty sure she was at least six feet tall.

" _So she's a genie or something. Alright, good to know."_

"Hey, Beli!" Kyanna yelled out unnecessarily, considering the room was quite small.

"Oh, hello, Kyanna. I'm not surprised you came today."

"I wouldn't miss your Yoga classes for anything!"

"Hahahaha, thank you! Oh, who have you brought with you today?"

"This girl? She's a friend."

" _Who you only met a few seconds ago_." "Y-yep, I'm a friend alright…"

"Hey, you jerk! Of course we're friends!" Kyanna bumped me on my shoulder, making me laugh.

"Y-yeah, yeah. I actually came b-because Aiko t-told me about it. I just met Kyanna out on the m-main floor."

"Oh! That was certainly nice of her. Aiko said she would try to be here, but I haven't seen her yet…" Beli frowned slightly, worry visible.

"She told me that she had t-too many papers to grade. She w-wasn't gonna make it today…"

"Awww, that's a shame… At least she sent someone else in her stead, right? Ehehehe!" Beli smiled again, her red eyes shining in mirth.

Kyanna and I laughed along, and we stepped completely into the studio. The ponytailed girl had been waiting patiently in silence, but the other woman began tapping her foot. "Are we going to get started anytime soon? I had hoped to get in some exercise before going back to work…" The woman's voice sounded very familiar…

The impatient woman's words reminded me of something important. "O-oh! I just remembered I won't be able t-to stay for long! I have, uh, w-work, as well."

Beli smiled, and clapped her hands together. "Alright then, let's get started now so you get as much time in as possible!" Her normally soft-spoken voice was raised slightly, probably in excitement. I swear, her already beautiful face started shining, and compassion radiated from her.

" _She really loves doing this, huh? She's so eager to get started, and she's the instructor!"_

[-]/\/\/\/\/\ Venus /\/\/\/\/\\[-]

I stayed for longer than I expected to, and the teacher…Beli, was it? She knew what she was doing. Though, her outfit was quite…provocative, to say the least.

The rumors I'd heard were true, indeed. Yoga was…illuminating. I guess I really did need a good stretch. It seemed Kyanna had enjoyed her time as much as I did. Pepper, silent as usual, seemed confused at first. The poor dear hasn't visited much of the human world, so hopefully this helped her get used to it all.

Tara, of course, was nervous throughout the whole thing. She was blushing the entire time, and I definitely saw her glancing at Beli and Kyanna. At one point she even looked at me, though I may have scared her off with my pretend unamused glare…

At about 4:50, Tara said that she needed to get going. I could've afforded to stay another 20 minutes or so, but this client was the most interesting I'd seen in a long time. Her past has taken her on a different path than even I was expecting. Kyu, of course, had no idea…

Hmmm… Kyu…. She was never one to let her true feelings show, but to even go this far… There's something in Tara that Kyu knows, has seen, that I don't. What kind of human is she? What kind of human can truly attract a love fairy; not just as a sideline fling?

Tara gathered her things and walked out, and I decided to leave soon after, expecting Pepper to follow. To my surprise, she did not. My favorite… attendant, let's say, had grown a little more. Tara had no idea that I was following her, and neither did Kyu. It was impossible for them to know, of course. Turning invisible and able to fly without the sound of fluttering wings makes for a good spy, even to other fairies.

Tara detached her cycle from the rack, and left. I had to use just a bit more power to keep up, but not much. She crossed the little town she lived in, going back to her own house. She rushed in, putting her two-wheeled vehicle in a small garage connected to the home. Tara practically sprinted into her bedroom, where I followed. She closed the door, so I just phased through. No problems yet.

Tara pulled off her workout clothes and opened her closet door. I couldn't help but be amazed at how well she treated her body, even with her timid nature. Her skin seemed flawless, spare a few scars along her legs and arms… I saw the edge of one scar that continued to her inner thigh. _"I dare not get too close, but… What sort of trouble did she get into?"_ …She was far more beautiful than she gave herself credit for…of course she was nothing compared to a few fairies I know. …Then again...

Before I knew it, Tara had already changed into some casual clothing. Instead of her signature blue hooded jacket, she had put on a thick dark blue sweatshirt over her normal plain white t-shirt, and had begun fumbling with the waistband of a pair of backside-hugging jeans.

Tara fumbled with the waistband on her jeans, mumbling to herself. "I hope N-Nikki doesn't m-mind me being too late… Come on, w-work with me, pants!" I looked at the digital alarm next to her bed, seeing it read '5:07'. Tara finally managed to pull the garments over her wonderful figure, and walked quickly to her dresser, grabbing pair of white socks before some black footwear. Tennis…shoes I think they're called. Is she going to play tennis? Hm.

…Fully clothed, Tara grabbed her HunieBee and a small device that flipped open into two separate screens. It had a circular pad on the left and a multitude of buttons everywhere else. What it was, I hadn't the foggiest idea, but Tara seemed excited to even have a grip on it. She also grabbed a small backpack, only big enough to sling over one shoulder. Looking around to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything, Tara left and closed the door behind her.

Before I left, I wanted to get a good look at the room around me. It was rather large for a bedroom; or at least a human's. My own is as large as Tara's house, so who am I to talk? A decently-sized flat-screened box set into the wall across from the bed caught my attention, as did the many metallic devices in a windowed cabinet below it. "So this is the human television. I wouldn't say it's primitive, considering we use magic and the humans think of magic as a myth… I wonder…"

I held out a finger, a stream of purple magic flowing from it. It trickled lazily towards the screen, before I tapped my foot impatiently. It jumped suddenly towards the large screen, making it flicker to life. It took a second or two, but something came on. 'No Signal Detected'

"What did I do wrong?"

[-]/\/\/\/\/\ Tara /\/\/\/\/\\[-]

I decided it would be best to just walk to the club; taking a bike would be awkward, and I'd probably get there too soon. I was almost positive that my favorite blue sweatshirt would keep me warm into the evening, and my t-shirt under it made me go from 'almost' to 'definitely'. While on my walk, I saw a flash of light in the cloudless, nearly-sunset sky, then a blink of a shooting star. I smiled, and made a quick wish. _"Why not? …I wish…That one of these girls I'm going to meet with Kyu's help will accept me for me; not the size of my bust…"_

Kyu popped into existence again, and this time I heard the faint twinkling of bells as it happened. "Wooaaahhh… What do you think that was?"

"Just another meteor. It was cool-looking though…"

[-]

I arrived at 5:38, as I had slowly walked there. No running necessary. I knew where the Nightclub was; it wasn't far from the Shopping Mall where I worked, and even if that wasn't true you could still see the blazing neon lights at the entrance for miles in the dusk.

 _"Lusties' Nightclub: A home for ravers, dancers, and whores alike. And apparently Tiffany?"_ I shook my head, remembering that such judgements aren't the kind to make and stand by. As I got closer and the sun began to dip down to the horizon, I saw two streaks of color in front of the Nightclub; one red and one blue. Then I heard them.

"For fuck's sake, Nikki, I told you to meet me here at 5:30! I didn't want to stand here alone and look like a fucking prostitute!"

 _"Audrey, I presume. She seems like an…interesting character."_

"I can just leave now and not waste any more of your time, then!" I recognized that raspy voice almost immediately and quickened my pace, hoping to catch Nikki before she actually left.

"I r-really hope I'm not too late, N-Nikki!" I stepped up next to her, and she turned towards me with an incredulous look on her face. I realized, at that moment, that her hair was short and a _very_ eye-catching shade of blue, and she wore black thick-rimmed glasses that covered ocean blue eyes – quite a few shades deeper than her hair. A loose beige sweatshirt hung on her thin frame, and one shoulder was out in the cool early March air. Jeans that were ripped at the knees covered her legs, and an old pair of sneakers were slipped over small feet. Oh, and Nikki was incredibly short; I was at least a head taller than her.

"Oh?! Who the hell are… Ummm… Tara?"

"Y-yep! I told you I'd be here, so here I am!"

"Who the hell are you?" Audrey. Also short, not as short as Nikki, with skin as pale and smooth as porcelain. Her mouth, however, seemed as loud as the clothes she wore and the color of her back-length hair. Her eyes, too, were ruby red and, at this moment, full of confusion and/or anger. Probably both, considering who it was pointed at. Her outfit consisted of the frilliest jacket I've ever seen, a slightly darker shade of red with black accents, and a black knee-length skirt with red ribbons crisscrossing it like a massive crochet pattern. Audrey's entire physical being _screamed_ expensive, with bits of _"Look at me, I'm a spoiled brat!"_ , but I digress.

" **Well?!** " Oh, yeah.

"Y-you must be Audrey, then. I'm T-Tara. I-It's, uh, n-nice to meet you!"

"Okayyyyy… Nik, you obviously know who she is, so tell me."

"I met her yesterday on one of my games, Audrey. I told her about what you had planned today, and she wanted to go with us." Under her breath, I heard "Why, I don't really know…"

"Oh, right. One of those things you stay at home and slowly rot away for, I see!" I couldn't help but scowl at that, and I saw Nikki do the same thing. "So now we have another Nikki, only… much taller."

 _"Excuse me?"_

"A-another Nikki? That's-" Before I could defend the scowling girl next to me, Audrey bust out another line that made me struggle to like her.

"Well, most of the time I have to drag Nikki away from her damn video game shit just to actually fucking exist, and doing that takes way too fucking long most of the time."

Nikki grimaced, holding in some bottled-up anger, and merely crossed her arms. I myself had had enough. I'm normally one to keep my voice as level as possible, but I strained to do so as Audrey had crossed the line. "Audrey."

"What?"

"W-why do you think Nikki would r-rather stay home a-and play video games?"

"Cause she's a fucking weeb that doesn't know how to live, that's why! She needs to do _something,_ but noooooo! I-"

I flinched, and Nikki let out a frustrated huff before turning to leave. "Nikki. Stay, for now. Please?"

"I sure as hell don't want to stay here and be insulted, so I'll just leave now. I appreciate what you tried to do, Tara, but Audrey decided to be more of a bitch than usual today. See you later."

At that, Nikki decidedly jogged away. I know at least one tear ran down my cheek watching her leave, but Audrey scoffed behind me.

"…I swear she needs to fucking chill out. **Ugh, Whatever!** Tiffany texted me and said she couldn't make it – she's too busy _fucking studying._ Ugh, what a teacher's pet…"

" _OKAY! SERIOUSLY! WHO IS THIS?!"_ There are some lines that are never crossed. If they are, a death stare is necessary. "Audrey."

" **What?!** " She seems to be resistant to my glare. Impressive.

"I understand that you want Nikki to get out more."

"At least someone does. I mean my fucking go-"

"BUT. Wh-why the insults? The offensive bullshit that you were saying is exactly what makes her want to stay at her home and 'rot'!"

"Because Nikki needs to learn that I don't take bullshit from her! Not after I got her that damn job at the café. I _will_ bite back if she gets nasty with me."

"And who was it that started yelling at her for being 'late'?"

"Me! She has to get here when I fucking told her to!" _"…Is she delusional?"_

"What made her come here in the first place? How did you convince her to come here?"

"I told her Tiff would probably be here, and she got all nervous and shit and said she'd meet us here at the club. I know those two were friends before I met them, but jeez!"

 _"Hmmmm…"_ "That's fine. But still, give me a good reason why you told her off after you finally got her to show up? What gives you the right to insult her?"

Audrey gaped at me like I had slapped her in the face. Not the 'I'm going to cry" look, but it was much closer to one of my patented glares. "Be-"

"And don't give me the 'because she's my friend' bullshit. Being friends doesn't mean they're some punching bag."

"But we _are_ friends, you bitch! The only reason why she even has a fucking job now is 'cause I pulled her away and convinced her she needed to get out of her apartment and find something to do, or she wouldn't have a place to live _at all._ Don't go bitching at me for yelling at my friends! I don't even fucking know you!"

 _"I'm surprised that she hasn't tried to punch me or something yet. I might be out of line somewhere around here, but I'm really not going to let her insult me or Nikki or anyone else if I can do something about it."_ "So you don't. Even still, what was your plan? Were you gonna insult her, have her suddenly realize the error of her ways, then become the extroverted partier that you are?"

"…" _"Did I hit a nerve? Hmmm…"_

"…Ugh! Nikki needs to fucking _learn_ how to _live_ like a normal human being, and I wanted to help her! Now, I'm getting real tired of your shit! Just… **go away!** "

At that, Audrey stomped into the Nightclub. I could've sworn I saw a tear, but it probably just a trick of the light of the sunset. _"Jesus Christ what is wrong with her… Did…did I really go too far? …There's no point in thinking that now. I've probably ruined my possible relationship with her anyway…"_ I started to walk away, in Nikki's direction. "Maybe I'll catch her before she gets…wherever she's going…"

[-]/\/\/\/\/\ Nikki /\/\/\/\/\\[-]

To say that Nikki was getting tired of Audrey's bullshit would be an incredible understatement. Most of those insults she'd heard before, but 'weeb'? Seriously? She hardly ever watched anime, and what little she really knew about it she never told Audrey. Did Audrey just pull that one out of her ass just to insult her more?

Nikki felt tears pool in her eyes, but she didn't want them to fall. _"That's just how most people are. They want something from you, and if they don't get it…"_ She was tired of people, and she was tired of her attempts to 'live like a normal human being' blowing up in her face. She wanted to just go back to her apartment and drown her sorrows in MMOs and art. Nikki continued on her way back to her apartment, her long-practiced scowl now struggling to not melt into a disgusting tear-stained mess. "Heh. And to think, Tara would've been there to really help, but… I wasn't fast enough."

"N-Nikki!"

Nikki gasped and turned quickly, seeing Tara quickly catching up to her. She debated in her head to either run off and/or make Tara leave her alone, or simply stop and let Tara down gently. …She stopped.

/\/\/\/\/\ Tara /\/\/\/\/\

Nikki's blue orbs stared blankly at me as I slowed to a stop. "Th-thank goodness you didn't get far…"

"And for what?"

"I…I tried to defend you back there, and I understand why you left. I still don't get why she'd be so…"

Nikki raised an eyebrow. "Bitchy? Yeah, that's Audrey for you. Definitely not much you could do about it, but I appreciate your 'help'."

"I try. …So…."

"Sooooo…I wanted to ask you something."

"Y-yes?"

"How…Why did you bother trying to keep me company? There's not much you could get from me, let me tell you." I couldn't help but laugh a little at that. Nikki, expectedly, gave me an incredulous, wounded look and huffed. "Tara, I'm being serious!"

"S-sorry, sorry! I didn't think I really needed a reason… I wanted to get to know the girl on the other side of the screen personally, that's all. I hope you don't mind."

"…Heh. Hahaha!" Nikki nearly doubled over in raspy laughter. I waited patiently as she let it all out. "Ahhhh… Really, now. I see what you're trying to do, but I really don't think I'm interested in dating right now. Or ever, really."

"D-dating? W-what are you t-talking about? I-I just w-wanted to be f-friends!" I blubbered a little; a blush forming on my face at the thought of a fancy restaurant or something of the sort.

"Wait. Really?" Nikki definitely looked confused, but I felt a hint of hope in her words.

"I-I'm serious! What, d-did you think I was g-gonna start pulling some cheesy one-liners o-out of nowhere, o-or try to f-force you out on a _date_?" _"Even_ _ **I'm**_ _not that crazy…"_

Now it was Nikki's turn to blush. "…Yeeaaaahhh… Sorry I misjudged you. It's… kind of become a habit at this point." Nikki looked down at the ground, making me feel bad.

"I-I have a strong feeling it isn't your fault."

"…"

"I have to ask though."

"Hm?"

"Is blue your natural hair color, or am I just being an idiot thinking that?"

Nikki raised an eyebrow again. "Yeah. Because blue is a natural hair color. That's a thing. Yep." She was trying to be annoyed with me, I could tell, but a smile dared to pull at her lips.

"Juuuust making s-sure." I laughed a little, and I held out a friendly hand. "W-we should p-probably fully introduce ourselves now."

"U-ummm… Okay?" Nikki nervously raised a delicate hand to mine and shook it. "I-I'm Nicole Ann-Marie… It's…nice to meet you, I guess?"

 _"Ahhhh! She's so cute when she's nervous!"_ My inner demons nearly made me squee out loud, but I kept it down. "M-my full name is T-Tara Ariadne Weaver. Before you-"

Nikki interrupted me before I could interrupt her. "Seriously? Ariadne and Weaver? Spider much?"

"My p-p-parents debated b-between that, G-Golden, and Webb as middle names. They w-were…. weird. Let's l-leave it a-at that." I was screaming inside, but I kept that down too.

"That's fine. …So…. What are we gonna do now?"

"I was thinking of going somewhere to eat, actually. I'm kinda-" Just like with Tiffany, my stomach erupted just as I was going to talk about getting food. Yet another long, mournful dirge sounded, and I simply blushed deeply and looked away from Nikki's amused stare.

"There's an idea I can get behind. What were you thinking?" Nikki smiled kindly at me, and I returned it.

"M-maybe just some f-fast food?"

"Sounds good. Let's get going before your stomach starts screaming or something."

"G-good idea!"

[-]/\/\/\/\/\ Nikki /\/\/\/\/\\[-]

Nikki always told herself that'd she'd get fat someday from all the burgers and fries she had eaten from the various fast food places around town over the years, but her metabolism (and personal taste) begged to differ. She always stayed stick-thin around the waist and hips, and what little body fat she could have possibly obtained went to her bust instead. Though, if you ever asked her about her cup-size, she'd probably try to beat the crap out of you before anything else. If you were someone that she cared about enough to answer, she'd probably punch you first before saying that her breasts were only C-cup; "Nothing to write home about," she'd say.

And that's why Nikki marveled at Tara's body against her chastity's will. The girl, no, woman sitting in front of her at the MacDougall's Burger Emporium outside booth was a sight to behold. Her bust was far larger than Nikki's own and seemed to defy gravity at some points, and Tara's wide hips had made Nikki follow their sway subconsciously when the Nth Wonder of the World went to find a place to sit outside, away from the clamor of the inside. Even Tara's waist looked thin compared to the rest of the hourglass, but definitely had some level of weight to it. Nikki began to imagine how smooth that skin was, and-then she caught herself before Tara did. As her mother would say, _"Nicole Ann-Marie! What do you think you're doing?! You know better than to stare, young lady!"_

Nikki quickly found 'better' things to stare at, like the small pail of fries the two were sharing. Tara had ordered a decent-sized burger, a shake, and the fries to share; though she was quickly taking it over. Nikki herself had only gotten a small burger and a small soda.

"Nikki? A-are you alright? …Heh, n-normally someone has t-to ask me that..."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just, not that hungry, to be totally honest." Nikki was, in fact, not lying. She just wasn't; the small burger by itself had filled her up.

"Y-you're making me feel b-bad… I w-want to make sure y-you get enough."

Nikki blinked as a memory surfaced. _"Nikki, honey, I just want you to get enough to eat. I don't want you getting sick, or worse!" "Shut up, mom, just…leave me alone!"_ …Ahhhh, her younger years, full of angst and childish hatred for her parents. Now it's just people in general she doesn't like.

"It's _fine_ , Tara. I'll be okay. You can have the rest of the fries."

"…Heh." Tara continued her slow descent into Fry Hell - the monotonous grab-dip-eat, grab-dip-eat, and so on.

"…I-I'm sorry this is s-so *nom* awkward, Nikki… If it isn't obvious en-nough, I'm n-not that great at c-conversation… Haha…"

Nikki chuckled a little in understanding. "I'm not good at it either, really. It's like, how are you supposed to? I know it comes naturally to some people, but I don't know how they can do it."

"Heh… Hmmm… I d-don't have anything t-to talk about… Well… D-do you have any hobbies?"

"…Besides video games?"

"Yes."

Nikki's face scrunched up adorably in thought. "…I love to draw. I have a few online accounts I put my art on, and some people like them." Nikki laughed a little before her next words. "I have a couple of notebooks full of stuff I've drawn over the years… Some of it's pretty terrible, though."

"Hehehe… I draw sometimes, but most of the time I just appreciate other people's work. I mean, some people's art I look at and I go, 'Wow, I'm actually _awful_ at drawing.' Other times I see it and I'm inspired."

"I know how you feel. With most of the things I post, people like it and give me good criticism or general nice words, but other people are complete assholes that make me want to curl up in a ball and die."

Tara's face blanked for a second, and she looked down at the dwindling bucket of fries. Then she spoke up; her voice full of kindness (more than usual). "I'm s-sorry you have to deal with that… I hate p-people like that. At l-least with Audrey she's right th-there in front of you, but…"

"I deal with it a lot, so I'm used to it."

Tara's eyebrows furrowed. "Y-you shouldn't _have_ to deal w-with it! It's not right…" Her voice shrunk to a whisper at the end.

Nikki stopped suddenly, her breathing hitched. "…Sometimes I feel like I deserve it… I mean, really, the shit I post is exactly that. Most of my 'art' isn't even worth wasting time on."

Tara visibly drooped, and the air seemed that much colder. Nikki shivered in the cold and in some level of anticipation. "Nikki…"

"Tara…?"

Tears formed in the corners of Tara's eyes, before she stood up. "D-don't y-you ever say that a-about yourself e-ever again! You d-don't deserve it! N-no one does…"

Nikki stood up as well, more in surprise with a hint of rebellious anger. "…Who are you to…" _"Are you seriously going to pass Tara off as another bullshitter trying to use you? …No."_ "…Thank you, Tara. I guess you are an exception to the rule…"

Tara smiled gently, tears still pooling. "I hoped so." Then, her cocked her head to the side in confusion. "You know what?"

"…What?"

"I j-just now realized how sh-short you are!"

Nikki just stared. "I'm only 5 feet tall. I'm so fucking small…" She couldn't help but cross her arms in frustration. But Tara only laughed in delight.

"You're like… an angry little slice of pie!"

"Shut uuuuup!" Nikki batted at Tara weakly, while the taller woman squeaked in surprise.

The two left the fast food restaurant in laughter, and Tara walked Nikki home to her apartment.

[-]/\/\/\/\/\ Tara /\/\/\/\/\\[-]

I said goodbye to Nikki and started walking back home. Kyu appeared, to my delight, with an approving smirk on her face.

"I'm surprised you managed to get through to her, champ. I thought you'd lose her."

"I can relate to her dislike of people. While I haven't given up on people as she has, I'm… wary. I know most people are actually kind and considerate, but there's always that risk…"

"And that's why I'm here! To make sure you can get past that kind of risk and meet some girl that will accept you for you!"

"Heh, thanks Kyu. Why don't we look at how well I _really_ did?" I pulled out my HunieBee with its striped green case. Password passed, and the hub screen opened with two new icons. Audrey and- "Oh for the love of… Why do I have to look at her face again? Why is she even available?"

"You have to learn how to deal with chicks like her. She's what we love-fairies call "a mega-bitch". Besides, if you can pierce through that bitchy exterior, who knows what she's really like inside? …And think about it! If you can get _her_ to like you, you can get to anyone!"

 _"Jeez. Can't argue with that…"_ "…Yeah, yeah, alright. But I won't like it." I went ahead and tapped on Audrey's app. It blinked and sat there for a second or two before finally opening. I didn't care to look at the beautiful portrait of Audrey herself smiling happily with an unseen light shining on her ruby-red eyes as the hearts rolled out. Only one was colored at all, and it was only half-way filled. The rest of the hearts, all 14-and-a-half, were shining. Like onyx, or black diamond, or something of the sort.

"What's up with that, Kyu?"

Kyu was silent, jaw attempting to touch the ground. "…"

"Kyu?"

"…I-I don't believe it. She's, like, the ultimate mega-bitch… That's a Hate Meter!"

"Did I fail already?"

That comment was ignored. "This is one of the rarest conditions a girl can have! I didn't think I'd ever have to explain this to another client… Basically, they'll start off generally hating you. They won't leave at the sight of you, but they also won't like spending time with you, at first. As you get through to whoever it is with the Hate Meter, those black hearts will be filled with the pink you know and love, but it'll be very, very difficult. Because they don't like you and shit. And it's very, very _easy_ to refill this Hate Meter. Be careful of every word you say to Audrey, or you may just lose all of your progress!"

"…This is my greatest challenge, isn't it?"

"Just about! Oh, and be warned. If it fills completely, you fail. She hates you. Goodbye. You lose, good day ma'am! …Good luck!"

I sighed, before backing out of Audrey and checking Nikki. Her picture was of her embarrassedly looking away from the 'camera', a blush on her face and her glasses the slightest bit crooked, with a similarly crooked smile. Her oceanic eyes shone brightly, and I couldn't help but giggle at the portrait. Two-and-a-half pink hearts folded out with the rest, and there was no Hate Meter to be seen.

"Th-thank god…"

I took one last look at Nikki's portrait, before closing that too. I remembered I had met Kyanna and Beli today, and decided to check them too. Kyanna had One-and-a-half hearts, and Beli had just one. Nothing big, but I've made some kind of progress. I closed the HunieBee, continuing to ignore Kyu's icon.

"Well, champ, I'd say you're doing well, but you've only just met these girls. A first impression, while important, isn't everything!"

"Thank you?"

"Sure!"

The two of us walked…er, _I_ walked and Kyu fluttered, back home. I had actually enjoyed my day, and getting through to Nikki felt good. I was sure the days to come, however, would not all be so easy.

/\/\/\/\/\ Venus /\/\/\/\/\

Pepper was exhausted after an extensive yoga session, and had retired to her own quarters for the night. Venus, honestly, appreciated the silence of the bedroom around her – its high ceilings and low lighting gave the goddess comfort. She yawned deeply, agreeing with Pepper's decision – while Venus definitely got her share of exercise on a normal basis (she wouldn't be a goddess otherwise), a long day of body contortion and following Tara around Glenberry finally caught up to her.

Speaking of Tara, The Goddess of Love couldn't help but feel excited to watch more of the introverted girl's escapades. The girl herself seemed to click with Tiffany and Nikki, but love, however cliché it may sound, is a strange thing. No one, not a human, fairy, goddess or otherwise can truly predict its path. Even so, Venus was nearly kept awake at the thought – just what could the aspiring lover get herself into?

* * *

 **END OF CHAPTER**

Hooooo, boy. I had hoped to write this and the next chapter quickly and quietly, but school said _no._ Instead, I got to write a 20-page essay on America's current educational system, its pros and cons, how I would change it, and properly convince the teacher that I knew I was talking about with at least 7 credible sources. Then a multitude of other essays and projects took up 99.8% of my time. I mean, all comedy is based on misery and timing, but that was ridiculous. Thankfully, I've been able to do this much (and most of the next chapter) in the time I've taken.

Oh, and also? Existential crises suck and real-life romance (as in, not Huniepop) takes a lot of time. Yep!

…As such, this chapter and the next are being released far, far later than I had hoped they would. I'm really sorry, guys.


End file.
